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Christmas time is a very special time to read magical stories to little ones. Here are some new picture books for all ages to help celebrate this wonderful season.
Oliver Elephant, by Lou Peacock, and brightly painted with mixed media by Helen Stephens, showcases the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. Youngster Noah is following his mommy while she pushes his little sister in a stroller in the mall. He is very glad he brought along his favorite stuffed animal, Oliver Elephant, to keep himself entertained as he feels all this shopping is most boring. But a catastrophe happens when he loses his toy. Thankfully, all works out when he finds it in a most surprising place.
Ecclesiastes, by Cynthia Rylant, is an illustrated account from the King James Version of the Bible. The first page begins with “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”. On this first open-page spread, Rylant’s gorgeous color splashes across both pages with the rendering of a new day. The next page simply reads: “A time to be born” and showcases another open-page spread with a lone tree about to burst with new lime-colored leaves. Every page reflects this same double-page scene continuing the chapter with a simple sentence and earth’s beauty and life. Rylant’s breathtaking trademark illustrations were made with acrylic paint done on watercolor paper. Be sure to check out her “Nativity” and “Creation” books using this same format.
The Polar Bear Wish, by Lori Evert, and photographed by Per Breiehagen, is an adventure that takes place near the North Pole. Young Anja and her cousin, Eric, are heading to the Christmas party on their dogsled. When a blizzard slows their travel to a stop, they pitch a tent for the night. They find a small lost polar bear cub, so they set out to locate the mom. This Nordic story, with wonderful photography, makes a perfect read out loud for this season.
A Christmas Advent Story, by Ivy Snow, and cleverly and brightly illustrated by Hannah Tolson, is a perfect countdown book in the frame of a story. Each page has one or two flaps to open signifying a number as you count closer to Christmas. Each page has a different open-page Christmas scene. Ice skating, sledding, Christmas shopping, wrapping presents and baking are some of the activities taking place as the countdown gets closer to the big day. Some of the pages include interactive questions that involve counting or locating specific items such as how many icicles are hanging from some pine trees. This book could easily become a favorite each Christmas.