The ghosts of Christmases past share wise words about the holiday spirit with today’s young readers in several new picture books with the message that this magical season is about more than what’s under the tree.
“Josie’s Gift” (Broadman &Holman, ages 4-8, $16.99) by Kathleen Long Bostrom and illustrated by Frank Ordaz takes place during the Depression, when many families, including Josie’s, couldn’t afford fancy, new blue sweaters. But that didn’t stop Josie from asking for it.
Somehow, she thought the new sweater would take the place of her father, who died earlier in the year from “the fever.” Every Christmas, he’d carve a new wooden character for the family’s nativity scene and that alone could light up the faces of Josie and her brother.
This year, though, all Josie’s thoughts were dark.
When she creeps downstairs on Christmas Eve, she sees the sweater, but her initial joy soon turns to sadness when she realizes she’s missing the right holiday feeling inside.
A trio of special visitors to her family’s barn rekindles her spirit just in time.
Hattie and Junior are forced to celebrate their first Christmas in the big city where Momma took a job in a factory while Daddy is away fighting in World War II in “One Splendid Tree” (Kids Can Press, ages 4-8, $17.95) by Marilyn Helmer and illustrated by Dianne Eastmann.
The family struggles to make ends meet and a holiday tree simply isn’t in the budget. But a holiday plant – now that might be a possibility.
Hattie and Junior share their plant and their excitement with their neighbors and soon everyone seems just a bit jollier.
“An Ellis Island Christmas” (Puffin, ages 5 and up, $6.99) by Maxinne Rhea Leighton and illustrated by Dennis Nolan is the softcover reprint of a 1992 story about a young Polish immigrant who arrives on U.S. shores on Christmas Eve.
Her holiday gift isn’t a new toy, but, rather an old one that her mother had stowed away in a box during their long boat ride. She also eats cookies, warm milk and tries a banana, and she learns to translate St. Mikolaj to Santa Claus almost immediately.
But the best present of all is being reunited with her father so her family could all be together on Christmas.
On Christmas morning at the farm in “Apple Tree Christmas” (Sleeping Bear Press, ages 4-8, $16.95) by Trinka Hakes Noble, Katrina and Josie receive again gifts they once had – a wood drawing board and a tree swing. A terrible ice storm had destroyed the big apple tree they were built on. Father chopped most of the tree for firewood but he saved the two most important pieces, for which the girls are ever so grateful.
In “The Christmas Hat” (Dutton, ages 3 and up, $15.99) by A.J. Wood and illustrated by Maggie Kneen. Mommy Rabbit and Daddy Badger give their adopted white owl a bright red Santa-style hat so they’ll be able to find him in the snow.
The problem is the wolf can also spot the owl in the hat.
After the owl escapes the wolf’s clutches by blending in with the fresh winter snow, he finds another use for the hat he loves so much: He uses it as a snugly blanket – at home.
Little Esmeralda’s house smells of cinnamon and coconut during the holiday season in “A Doll for Navidades” (Scholastic, ages 4-8, $16.99) by Esmeralda Santiago and illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez.
She eagerly awaits the arrival of the Three Magi and the gifts they’ll bring, although she enjoys the songs of the “parrandas” (essentially carolers) in the meantime and she gobbles up the nuts her mother and father give her on Christmas morning.
When it’s time to write her letter to the three kings, she asks for a baby doll, and her sister wants one, too.
Only one doll arrives and it’s for her sister. Esmeralda grows up in the moment when she realizes that there’s a gift in watching others rejoice – and in knowing that the Three Magi must hold her in very high esteem to think she’d understand that.
Among the other holiday-themed children’s books to fill Santa’s sack:
Christmas:
“An Angel Came to Nazareth” (Chronicle, ages 4-8, $15.95) by Maggie Kneen. An angel sees four travelers on a journey to Bethlehem. The same angel also spies four animals having breakfast in the hay. The angels gives each animal the choice of who they’d like to carry. Each has a good reason for its pick, but the donkey chooses last and wisest.
“Good King Wenceslas” (Eerdmans, ages 5 and up, $16) by John M. Neale and illustrated by Tim Ladwig. Neale, an Anglican priest, wrote the words in 1853 about a real-life king who opens his heart and shares his wealth with a poor family to inspire children to be generous on St. Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26). That message is a timeless one, now accompanied by new artwork.
“Once Upon a Christmas Eve” (Mitten Press, ages 4-10, $17.95) by Kathy-Jo Wargin and illustrated by Bruce Langton. Kate has heard about the legend that the animals speak on Christmas Eve but she has yet to hear a talking animal. She wanders into the woods and goes a little too far; she’s lost. Soon, though, she finds the animals who lead her to the manger in the trees – and their trip is not a silent one.
Hanukkah:
“Four Sides, Eight Nights” (Roaring Brook, ages 9-12, $16.95) by Rebecca Tova Ben-Zvi and illustrated by Susanna Natti. This Hanukkah primer starts out with a young girl saying her favorite part of the holiday is – no surprise here – the presents. But she’s not talking about those she receives, she means the ones she gives to her parents. This book gives a gift to all celebrants: explanations about how Hanukkah happened, the dreidel and the holiday within a holiday, called Rosh Hodesh, marking the first day of a new month. There also is a list of dos and don’ts: Do set up a menorah so it’s visible for passers-by, but don’t use its light for reading.
“Biscuit’s Hanukkah” (HarperCollins, ages 2-6, $4.99) by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrations by Pat Schories. Biscuit and his human caretaker make a new menorah for their friends. One could say Biscuit certainly gets wrapped up in decorating the rainbow-colored candleholder.
“The Eight Nights of Chanukah” (Abrams, ages 3-8, $12.95) by Leslea Newman and illustrated by Elivia Savadier. To the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a family runs down a list of eight holiday symbols. There are eight maidels dancing, seven latkes frying, six dreidels spinning, five bags of gelt, four matzo balls, three challahs, two Maccabees and a present waiting for me. For anyone who doesn’t know what a maidel or Maccabee is, there’s a brief glossary at the end.
Santa stories:
“Dear Santa Claus” (Candlewick, ages 4-7, $14.99) by Alan Durant and illustrated by Vanessa Cabban. Santa finds a pen pal in Holly, who has a very “Christmasy name,” he notes. They write each other about their daily lives but Holly puts off putting her Christmas list in the envelope until the very last moment. Her request is one that Santa must deliver in person.
“Dear Santa: The Letters of James B. Dobbins” (HarperCollins, ages 4-8, $15.99) by Bill Harley and illustrated R.W. Alley. James starts his first letter of the year to Santa Claus with a wish list that includes new hockey skates, an aquarium with a piranha and earplugs to block his sister’s talking. Definitely no clothes! But by his 10th letter, he’s explaining his way out of breaking the computer, phone and garage door opener. It’s hard to be good all the time, he tells Santa.
“Dewey’s Magical Sleigh” (RandallFraser, ages 3-7, $15.95) by Brahm Wenger and Alan Green, and illustrated by Jean Gillmore. Santa asks the very helpful Doo-it family to be his elves and he made a good choice: The Doo-its just couldn’t enjoy their Christmas dinner knowing that there was a family out there without food on its table.
A CD with a narrated version of the story by actor John Goodman is packaged with the book, which benefits Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Animal kingdom:
“Mortimer’s Christmas Manger” (Margaret K. McElderry, ages 4-8, $15.95) by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman. Mortimer Mouse feels like he needs a place of his own – the dark hole under the stairs just isn’t doing it for him anymore. Then he spies the perfect mouse-size house set up next to a brightly lit tree, but a family already seems to be living there. A family that included a man named Joseph, a woman named Mary and their baby, Jesus. After hearing their story, Mortimer decides they need the miniature house more than he does.
“You Are My Miracle” (Philomel, ages 3 and up, $15.99) by Maryann Cusimano Love and Satomi Ichikawa. It’s a mother bear who says the words, but the extended poem can be appreciated by all sorts of parents and children. The mother explains to her young son how they complement each other – “I am your hot cocoa; you are my marshmallow” and “I am your Santa Claus; you are my Christmas elf,” for example – and are better off with each in the other’s life.
“Merry Christmas, Merry Crow” (Harcourt, ages 3-7, $16) by Kathi Appelt and illustrated by Jon Goodell. A crow certainly isn’t going to take Christmas lying down. He gathers up things that everyone else discards to decorate a tree that stands tall in a sea of snow, attracting a wide range of fans.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas Dogs” (Dutton, ages 3 and up, $15.99) by Carolyn Conahan. There are so many cute canines for best friends to give each other – including five golden dogs, four collie dogs, three French dogs, two turtle dogs and a pug puppy under the tree.
“Pooch on the Loose: A Christmas Adventure” (Marshall Cavendish, $14.95, ages 3-8) by Steven Kroll and Michael Garland. Bart runs out of his New York apartment building when his beloved owner opens the door to bring inside a Christmas tree. He excitedly visits all the places he – as a dog – never gets to see: the Staten Island Ferry, the holiday windows at the Fifth Avenue department stores and Rockefeller Center. But after his tour is over, he’s happy to have a warm, snugly place to go home to.
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