Tag Archives: children’s books

Best Holiday Books: Cookie Count – A Tasty Pop-up

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cookie count

For a paper nut like me, Robert Sabuda is just about the most wonderful guy in the world. His pop-up books are phenomenal and create entire worlds of whimsy and imagination. My favorite is Cookie Count: A Tasty Pop-up, which features a countdown of the most fantastical baked goods around! Your children will marvel at the details behind each beautiful morsel. My sons particularly love the fact that the chefs are mice in tiny little toques. Sabuda has written and designed many pop-up books, but this one is, by far, the most delicious.

Best Holiday Books: A Christmas Carol (A Babylit Colors Primer)

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xmas carol

A few months ago, I reviewed one of the unbelievably charming books in the BabyLit series – Romeo and Juliet: A Babylit Counting Primer (click here for the review). And now they’ve gone and done it again. The amazing literary team that is writer Jennifer Adams and illustrator Alison Oliver has created yet another instant classic in their holiday book A Christmas Carol: A BabyLit Colors Primer. This utterly adorable board book will keep your little drooling darlings delighted with its lovable drawings, all while learning their colors! Scrooge never looked so good, and the added bonus of a hidden mouse throughout the pages will keep even the most discerning baby literati on their toes. Now, I’m an old English major dork so the thought of board books based on classic literature is just about the most wonderful thing to happen. But you don’t have to be an Austen aficionado or a Dickens dilettante to appreciate the brains behind these beautiful books. If I were you, I’d buy all the babies in my life the full set of these. Adams and Oliver have covered many of the most beloved books, from Sense and Sensibility to Moby Dick, all the way to my personal favorite, Jane Eyre. (I always was a sucker for Rochester…) Honestly, I can’t think of anything better than these wee little books – perfect for your wee little bookworm.

Best Holiday Books: It’s Christmas, David!

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its-christmas,-david!You remember David don’t you? Nightmarish kid…bald head…vampire-like teeth? David Shannon’s wicked character is back in “It’s Christmas, David!” and this time he’s on the hunt for hidden presents. David steals cookies…he pees in the snow…he shows his little fanny to the world…and, still, you’ll be begging for more. Shannon’s “David” books are all-time favorites of my boys and I find myself laughing right along with them not only for the delightfully naughty things David does, but for the fantastically brilliant illustrations that perfectly capture his every prank. A must-read for the holidays…fanny optional.

Best Holiday Books: Christmas with Rita and Whatsit

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christmas-with-rita-and-whatsit-300x300First of all, hats off to any children’s book author who names their main character Rita. There are far too few Rita’s in literature these days and I applaud any writer who brings Rita to life. Thankfully Roald Dahl made use of my favorite girl’s name in the world, Matilda, but Rita definitely runs a close second.  Perhaps the best Rita of all is small little mousy haired girl in the red dress in one of my favorite holiday books, Christmas with Rita and Whatsit. This adorable book by French writer Jean Philippe Arrou-Vignod (say that ten times fast) and pen-and-ink illustrator Oliver Tallec is a little holiday treasure. Tallec’s illustrations are just divine – simple, elegant and quirky  – and Arrou-Vignod’s text is the perfect anecdote to your run-of-the-mill holiday tome. In this fun book, Rita and her pet…um…dog (?) Whatsit are eagerly preparing for Christmas. Decorating the tree (with sausages, of course) and singing Christmas carols (or, rather, howling them)..and making lists a mile long of every gift they would like to have Santa bring down the chimney this year. But will Whats-it’s incessant barking scare Jolly Ole St. Nick away? Find out in this utterly charming book. (And, here’s a little hint. If you love Rita as much as I do, look for Arrou-Vignod and Tallec’s other Rita books while you’re at it!)

Best Holiday Books: A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas

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a_pirates_night_before_christmasAlright, ladies and gentleman…it’s December 1st and that means our annual countdown of the best holiday books for your little ones! First off, for those of you tired of the same-old ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, fear not! Philip Yates’ A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas is just the thing. This hilarious spoof on Clement C. Moore’s holiday classic will have your children giggling all the way down to their wooden leg. Imagine everything children love about pirates – treasure maps, eye patches, missing limbs, scurvy landlubbers – this book has them in spades. And with Sebastia Serra’s gorgeously whimsical illustrations, this books is a must-have this holiday season.  I mean, who could resist a book that begins with ”Twas the night before Christmas aboard the Black Sark./Not a creature was stirrin’, not even a shark!” I know my sons can’t. And, secretly, neither can I. A perfect holiday gift for your little landlubber or scallywag. Check back tomorrow for our next recommendation!

When You Were Small, or Asleep in a Slipper

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Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad may be the finest writer/illustrator team since Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. Their utterly lovely book, “When You Were Small”, is a feast of words and pictures the likes of which I have not seen in some time. Henry is a little boy who, like most children, likes to hear about when he was small. So, his loving father, with a penchant for exaggeration and wit, spins tales of Henry’s infancy when he could sleep in his father’s left slipper and bathe in a teapot. The whimsy with which O’Leary’s words spill forth is perfectly matched by Morstad’s gorgeous drawings. This is a match (and a book) made in Heaven. I would recommend reading it every night…right after your warm and fragrant teapot bath.

This is New York

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As the boys and I prepare for our Thanksgiving trip to New Jersey, we are anxiously awaiting a fun family day in Manhattan. Brunch with friends, a Broadway play in the afternoon, a drink at the Harvard Club…Heaven. And with the devastation caused by Sandy and the reminder to us all just how incredible and impermeable the spirit of that city is, what better way to celebrate this gorgeous metropolis than by reading Miroslav Sasek’s beautiful book, “This is New York”…one in a series of books dedicated to introducing young children to the most wonderful cities in the world. Originally published in 1960, Sasek’s inimitable illustrations of New York and the brilliant and irreverent way in which he shares the history of Manhattan are what make this book a must-have for any family. It’s a literal treasure-trove of all the best New York has to offer and, even today, could serve as a tourist map of must-see attractions. Find a copy, treat yourself to a one-way ticket there and give the New York Public Library Lions a pat on the head from me.

Yuck, A Love Story

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For any of you who, at one time or another, had your braids pulled, your teddy bear stolen or your name turned into some sort of nasty rhyme (I was Katie Katie Cleaning Lady…sigh) by a boy in your class and then had your mother tell you he was only doing it because he liked you, you’re in luck. Don Gillmor’s absolutely adorable book, Yuck, a Love Story, is a step back in time when crushes happened out of the blue and manifested themselves in the strangest ways. Little Austin Grouper is just toodling along, living the life of a typical boy, when suddenly a little girl named Amy moves in next door. And miraculously (or horrifically as the case may be) Austin develops a bit of a crush on her. And his way of showing it vacillates between telling her she has a small brain to later, quite literally, lasso-ing the moon for her and dropping it in her backyard. First love is captured so honestly and hilariously, you won’t be able to stifle those nostalgic giggles. And with Marie-Louise Gay’s inimitable illustrations (you’ll remember her from Stella) this book is an instant treasure….or I’m not Katie Katie Cleaning Lady…

Vote!, or Go Big! Go Zig!

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My sons are fascinated by the election. They marvel at the signs on the backs of people’s cars, the posters in people’s yards, the commercials touting the merits (or demerits) of this candidate over the other. My older son, in particular, is a bit of a policy wonk (a child after my own heart!) and prides himself on his knowledge of not only the Presidents through history but the fun facts associated with them. (A portly President Taft getting stuck in the Presidential bathtub, for example…) He’s even started writing his own campaign speeches and slogans (“Go Big! Go Zig!”). He’s very interested in watching the Conventions as well and so we have, as a family, watched it all. No matter my or my husband’s political leanings, we want to instill in our kids the notion of making their own decisions. Of knowing the issues and learning about the beliefs of each candidate and making decisions based on human rights, kindness and intelligence. We’ve listened to Ann’s speech and Condi’s speech and Mitt’s speech and Michelle’s speech and Bill’s speech and we’re anxiously awaiting President Obama’s speech. And as we’ve discussed politics and what the candidates are talking about and how the election all works, I’ve tried to find a children’s book that succinctly and clearly discusses these complex ideas in a way that is understandable and enjoyable for kids. I found there’s no better book to illustrate the true meaning of our right to vote than “Vote!” by Eileen Christelow. In a simple, engaging, playful way, Christelow’s book offers insight into the electoral process. Using narration by one candidate’s dogs (Elmer and Sparky), the information is approachable and understandable even to younger readers.  In an era of mudslinging it is wonderful to help children understand what’s behind the vote and how important it is to remember why we do it in the first place. And what better time that now to emphasize the importance of knowledge and the amazing power that we have as citizens and voters to change the world. Big lessons for little people – but ones that will stay with them forever.