Since this time of year is all about making lists and checking them twice, here is a list of seven wonderfully diverse picture books to enjoy with small children as they count down the days until Christmas.
The Brick Testament: The Story of Christmas
Retold and Illustrated by Brendan Powell Smith
This nativity story is illustrated with a series of Lego tableaux, which may sound slightly silly and sacrilegious, but is actually quite a good rendition of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Each page offers a short selection from the Bible faced by a full-page illustration. Smith's inventive use of lego bricks and characters is quite impressive, and the book provides an accessible version of the Bible story without ever simplifying it in terms of content. Smith has also illustrated more than one hundred other Bible stories, and you can see more of his work on his website or in his new book The Brick Bible.
by Robert Sabuda
Sabuda is king of the pop-up books, and his Christmas books are among his prettiest efforts. (He has also published a beautiful Chanukah Lights Pop-Up Book.) The 12 Days of Christmas is an absolute stunner. Sabuda manages to bring fresh imagery to the classic song, and the final page brings it all together with a pop-up Christmas tree that actually lights-up.
Olive, the Other Reindeer
by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
Olive, the Other Reindeer has to be one of the cleverer titles for a children's book (second only perhaps to Olive, My Love, also by Vivian Walsh). Walsh based the story of a dog who hears the famous christmas song and comes to the conclusion that she must be a reindeer on her own Jack Russell terrier.
The story updates the Rudolph tale by providing a little parable about individuality and belonging. Olive naturally saves the day (or rather, the night) as she guides Santa's sleigh home by following the scent of Mrs. Claus's cookies baking.
The book inspired a television special produced by Matt Groening in 1999.
The Night Before Christmas
by Jan Brett
Clement Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" dates back to 1823, but has seldom been treated to such loving and lavish detail as in this edition illustrated by Jan Brett. The story is particularly well-suited to Brett's technique of framing a large central image with smaller peripheral images. Brett infuses the story with rich period detail that never looks dated. She also does reindeer like nobody's business.
Brett, who works in watercolour and gouache, has now published over twenty books, including, most recently, Home for Christmas. A new edition of The Night Before Christmas is available as an audio DVD/book co-produced with the Boston Pops as well as an app from iTunes.
Dream Snow
by Eric Carle
Eric Carle is well known for his highly-stylized concept books (for example, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Lonely Firefly) that lend themselves so well to the board book format. While Dream Snow is not the best known of his books, it is deserving of classic status. It's the story of a farmer who falls asleep and dreams that a blanket of snow is covering all his animals. For little readers, each animal appears first as a white mound that reveals the animal beneath as the mylar page is lifted.
At the end of the story, the farmer puts on his red coat and red hat and goes out to put presents for all beneath the tree. There is a sound chip accompaniment to the final illustration that sounds just like tinsel tinkling in the cold night air. If you can't quite imagine that sound, then you may need to find yourself a copy of the book.
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming
by Lemony Snickett with illustrations by Lisa Brown
This brilliant Christmas-slash-Hanukah story pulls off a nearly impossible feat. It's the story of a latke (potato pancake) who runs away from a pan of hot oil and meets Christmas lights, a candy cane, and a Christmas tree - none of whom understand what he is, which allows for various amusing explanations of the differing traditions of Christmas and Hanukah. Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler (Lemony Snickett's alter-ego) talk about the creation of the book in this charming video.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
(An interactive book with sound)
by Charles M. Schulz
There have now been several generations of children who have grown up watching Charlie Brown search for the true meaning of Christmas. This charming little edition from Hallmark has sound chips of selections from the original television program, including "O Christmas Tree," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and Linus's final moving speech on the real meaning of Christmas. And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
Sara O'Leary - Sara O'Leary is a writer and reviewer. She blogs about children's books at 123oleary.
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