Tuesday Storytime: Happy Holidays!

Yesterday was our last storytime of the year - amazing how quickly it all goes. It's ALSO the last storytime before Christmas, so I felt like I ought to do at least one specifically "christmassy" book.

The Snowy Day
Ezra Jack Keats
ISBN: 9780670012701  (50th anniversary edition)
This is a MUCH bigger edition than the original, which makes it much more suited for traditional storytime, instead of a lap-sit or child-held book. I love that the original was small and suited for tiny hands and arms, but it does make it more enjoyable for the pictures to be bigger this time around. There's a lovely section at the end talking about Keats and his work on this book and his dream of having "Peter" representing all the children who never got to see someone who looked like them.

Click, Clack, Ho Ho Ho
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
ISBN: 9781442496736
This cute story follows Duck and all the other farm animals through an ill-fated attempt to bring Farmer Brown some Christmas Cheer, and unfortunately ending up all stuck in the chimney. Thankfully, the real Santa arrives to put things to rights (or at least shove everyone down the chimney into the living room) and the party gets to happen after all.

Bear Snores On
Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
ISBN: 06898780238
The classic story that started the whole thing. I like this one as a low-key holiday party book because there's no indication of them celebrating anything specific at all, just having a nice party with friends. With society as multi-cultural as it is now, it's really lovely to have a book that focuses on the important things: it's cold, it's dreary, and everyone needs an excuse to hang out with the people they love.

Tuesday Storytime: Christmas is Coming

It always seems strange to have Christmas so soon after it finally gets cold. I feel like we were solidly in fall territory last week, and Christmas is only two weeks away! Wild. These books were selected by my coworker.

Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight?
Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by David Biedrzycki
ISBN: 9780439853699
Any story that seriously questions the type of animals best suited to pull Santa's sleigh is a winner for me.


The Christmas Kitten
Mary Packard, illustrated by Jenny Williams
ISBN: 0516053647
A frisky homeless kitten ends up in Santa's Workshop causing chaos until Christmas when Santa heads out on his sleigh with the kitten in tow, destined for a happy (non-elf-filled-workshop) home.


Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho!
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
ISBN: 9781442496736
The well-intentioned but clutzy farm animals from Click, Clack, Moo! are trying to make sure that their farmer has a Merry Christmas, but they're all stuck in the chimney now. (It's always Duck's fault.) Who can save both them and Christmas?