Much like I read the same adult Christmas books year after year — here are my 10 favourites — I read the same children's books to my son. While he might be too old for some of them, they are a beautiful holiday tradition.
The Cat That Climbed the Christmas Tree
This Little Golden Book was bought on special for $1.49 and has gone through two children who are more than a decade apart. It was a favourite at our house. It's Benny's first Christmas Eve and after his little girl, Emily, goes to bed, Benny discovers the ornament on the tree comes alive. Being a kitten, Benny disregards Emily's rules about no cats in trees and runs up the branches with the goal of reaching the top, meeting the family's ornaments as he goes. Benny doesn't stop until he reaches the Guardian of the house, the angel who is patient, kind and beautiful. And then Benny discovers a problem – he has no idea how to get down.
Cute book that makes you wonder what cats — and ornaments — get up to when you go to bed.
My Christmas Treasury
Speaking of old, this Little Golden Book was mine when I was a child and I remember loving it then and loving it now. The book is filled with short stories, poems and a guessing game. As a kid, and as a mom reading it to her child, I loved the story about how children around the world celebrated Christmas and the one about the young bunnies who were afraid they wouldn't be able to make it to see their grandparents because of the snow. Funny story. Mama and Papa bunny get snowshoes from the attic. Ha!
Winter's Gift
I received this picture book as a gift about six years ago and I absolutely love it. It's one of the most beautiful stories of the holidays and I would argue although it's set at Christmas, the message is important to read any time of the year.
Winter's Gift is written and illustrated by Jane Monroe Donovan.
It's Christmas, but the old man isn't in the spirit. His wife passed away and the things they used to do together makes him even more sad that she is no longer with him. At the same time, a wild horse, separated from her pack, is scared, lost and exhausted. The snow is beginning to fall harder and she can hear a pack of wolves howling in the distance. The horse eventually falls in the snow and the man inside hears a noise that he goes out to investigate. Finding the horse, he bringing it inside his barn. The end is absolutely amazing, beautiful and heartwarming. I love this book so much.
Oskar and the Eight Blessings
“Oskar's mother and father believed in the power of blessings. So did Oskar...Until the night of the broken glass. His parents put him on a ship to America. He had nothing but an address and a photo of a woman he didn't know - 'It's your Aunt Ester.' - and his father's last words to him. 'Oskar, even in bad times, people can be good. You have to look for the blessings.”
So begins the story of Oskar and the Eight Blessings set in 1938 when Oskar escapes the Nazis and arrives in New York City where he encounters many blessings – the kindness of strangers who give him something to eat, a pair of warm mitts and a comic book given as Christmas gift.
The book by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon and illustrated by Mark Siegel is powerful. I read it with sadness for what Oskar looses, but with happiness and hope for what he finds. Great author's note at the back.
A Letter to Santa
In this rhyming book, a little boy writes his letter to Santa on Christmas Eve, asking for a bike or a train set. That night, he magically arrives at Santa's workshop where he sees Santa reading his letters and the elves making toys. He watches as Santa and the elves get ready for their big night, then wakes up to Christmas morning.
It's a cute story with fun illustrations. I particularly like the reindeer.
A Letter to Santa is by Goby Goldsack and illustrated by Caroline Pelder.
Christmas at Stoney Creek
This is a large-print chapter book by Stephanie Greene we read each year about a family of mice, worried about their Papa who went away to get food, but hasn't been back. The family is still preparing for Christmas, yet food is scarce and Pip is afraid.
“Pip knows she must do something. There are mountains for food in the huge house on the top of the hill. The one filled with cats and traps. The most dangerous place in Stoney Creek. Mama has forbidden everyone from even mentioning the house. Pip's not sure she has the courage to go there, but she has to try...Braveness starts with a single step.”
We love the story and the ending comes up, often – particularly every time we catch a mouse in a trap.
The Christmas Hat
Little Owl was just a baby when Rabbit and Badger found him lost in the woods. They adopt the fluffy white owl, who gets into all sorts of mischief. Winter comes and Little Owl completely blends into the snow, disappearing and scaring his parents. Rabbit makes him a bright red hat, which he wears on the walk through the forest. The problem is, when Red Fox springs out, Little Owl does what he usually does – stands completely still. Unfortunately, the red hat makes him a standing...owl.
The story is fun and the illustrations are beautiful. In this case they are embossed. We have a couple of books like that, which makes the pictures pop from the page.
Here Comes Santa Cat
This is the first Cat book we read by Deborah Underwood and we loved it so much we ended up getting a couple more. While they are good, this one is our favourite. I don't think we'll ever get too old for it. It makes us laugh.
The holidays are around the corner and Cat is worried. According to his graph, he is 98 per cent naughty and only two per cent nice. He figures he won't get a present this year. The narrator, who we don't see in Claudia Rueda's illustrations, but we hear talking, says it's not too late, he can still do good. He tries, but it never works out the way he hopes. Until one day he does something nice without thinking about it.
Cat makes us laugh. He tries. He falls. He comes up with these imaginative ideas. We laugh. It's a fun book.
When Santa Was a Baby
I really like Canadian author Linda Bailey (creator of the Stanley the dog and On the Run series) and we really like this book as well. The illustrations by Genevieve Godbout are also wonderful.
Even as a baby, Santa had his trademark booming Ho, Ho, Ho, good and strong and un-baby like. His parents are thrilled. As Santa grows, we can see him becoming the person he will become, wearing red Pjs, not blue; giving away the toys he received for his birthday; and training his hamsters to pull his sled.
And he likes the cold, standing naked in front of the refrigerator. As you can imagine, that might have been the favourite part in the entire book. We see a teen Santa and finally the Santa we love and know.
Lisa Day is the author of two book blogs, Book Time, where she reviews a variety of books for a variety of readers and offers author Q&As, and followsummer.com, book reviews that inspire armchair travel.
