The Book Sense 76
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Holiday Books for Kids
by Gavin Grant

Children and books are inextricably linked at Christmas. Toys will break, candy will be eaten, but books can be read year after year. You don’t have to worry if your friend’s children have read The Polar Express, or if your niece has already read her way through Nancy Drew -- there are so many good books you’re sure to find something that’s new to them.

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is observed all over the world. It is an eight-day family and religious holiday commemorating the 165 B.C.E. victory of the Jewish Maccabees over the Hellenist Syrians. After the battle, the Maccabees wanted to rededicate their temple in Jerusalem, but they had run out of oil. They found one small container with just enough oil for to keep a flame burning for one evening. The flame lasted for eight days! It is this miracle that is remembered and celebrated today.

The Christmas Junkbox & the Very Best Christmas Tree, by Tony King, Michael McCurdy
This is a special edition that contains two hardcover books and a cassette. Mr. Bones wants his family to appreciate Christmas and escape the overwhelming commercialism of the holiday. He tries to get his family to stop shopping, get out of the mall and into the woods to make the perfect family present. In the second book, he takes the family into the woods to find the best Christmas tree. A great package from David R. Godine, a small press in the Boston area that makes many beautiful books like this.

Moishe's Miracle, by Laura Krauss Melmed, David Slonim
Moishe has been overgenerous and his wife is moaning that they might go hungry this Hanukkah but Moishe -- and his wife! -- will be rewarded. Of course in a story like this nothing is simple. What will happen when Moishe’s wife meddles? This is a fresh take on the magic cooking pot fairy tale and the author’s have fun with it. After reading this you might want to have the cookbook ready! (Ages 5-10)

Kwanzaa, by Eric V. Copage
A superb collection that contains recipes, folk tales, history, and biographies of prominent African Americans. Copage obviously spent a lot of time putting this book together and the reader is bound to appreciate it. There are over 125 recipes ranging from traditional to nouveau cuisine which would enliven anyone’s holiday celebration. With the focus always on the holiday this much-more-than-a-cookbook is just the answer for anyone who wants to know more about this still relatively new holiday.

It's Kwanzaa Time!, by Linda Goss, Ashley Bryan
A comprehensive introduction and entertainment guide that has topical stories illustrated by such well-known artists as Leo and Diane Dillon, Floyd Cooper, Jerry Pinkney, and others. Besides the stories there are a lot of resources on how and why to celebrate Kwanzaa: a history of the holiday, easy patterns for making African-style clothes, crafts, recipes, songs, and a very useful bibliography for further reading. (Age 4-8)

Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Mary Azarian
In among all the Christmas tales and stories, how about a little nonfiction? This beautifully illustrated 1999 Caldecott Medal winner tells the true story of Wilson Bentley of Vermont. Bentley was fascinated by snow from a young age. After years of trial and error he discovered a method of photographing snowflakes, and it was he who discovered the immense variety of snowflake shapes and patterns. Children and adults alike will love this book: Bentley’s enthusiasm and curiosity, dedication, and eventual triumph in such an ephemeral field gives hope to everyone.

While the Candles Burn, by Barbara Diamond Goldin, Elaine Greenstein
A nicely designed book with a story for each night of the holiday. The stories -- some new, some retold -- are inclusive rather than divisive; showcasing trust across faith lines, commitment, religious freedom, courage, and peace. Goldin brings a more contemporary slant to stories from folklore, the Bible, and the Talmud with subject matter such as soccer games and women in Judaism. These stories are perhaps easier to relate to than some of the more traditional tales. Through them children can see that the holiday is not just about history, rather it is real and involves them. (Age 4-8)

Chanukah in Chelm, by David A. Adler, Kevin O'Malley
A circular quest story revolving around Mendel, the caretaker of the synagogue in the town of Chelm, and his attempt to find a table to put in front of the window to put the menorah on. The illustrations are rich and there is so much humor in the little asides and jokes the Chelmites are always making that no one will be able to read this without a smile on their face. There aren’t many lessons to be learned here, rather this is a good, old-fashioned funny story for both kids and adults. (Ages 5-9)

Red Ranger Came Calling, by Berkeley Breathed
A truly magical experience with a real surprise at the end. This is one of my favorite children’s books, Christmas-themed and otherwise. Red (based on the author’s father) doesn’t believe in adults, never mind Santa Claus, but when he meets a grumpy old man who claims to be the infamous Father Christmas, Red can’t help but place the tiniest bit of faith in the old man -- just in case! Huge, bright pictures throughout will have you laughing and wondering just how far Red will go in pursuit of the one thing he wants in life, a new Buck Tweed bicycle.

The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs does a great job with this story without any words. One of the best books to reverse the usual roles and ask your child to tell you the story. A boy wakes up and sees it has been snowing, so he runs out and makes a snowman, and, that night, when he can’t sleep, he finds the snowman has come alive! A magical tale.

The Story of Hanukkah, by Norma Simon, Leonid Gore
Hanukkah celebrates two things: an ancient victory in war and the miracle of the one day supply of oil that burned for eight nights to celebrate the victory. A good retelling of the story is further enriched with recipes (for latkes and potato pancakes), instructions on how to play dreidel, and a short look at the rest of the Jewish year. A good book that covers all the basics. (Ages 9-12)

Kwanzaa Karamu , by April A. Brady, Barbara Knutson
Excellent resource for middle readers who want to do something more hands-on for the holiday. There are enough recipes (18) forat least one very satisfying feast. There are also handy notes and safety tips for the kitchen that are useful for warning children before the cooking begins. In the crafts section there are plans and instructions for making a mat, a tapestry, an African headdress and more. Besides the usual history of the ideas behind the holiday there is a glossary of Swahili terms appended. (Age 9-12)

Celebrating Kwanzaa, by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Lawrence Migdale
This is something quite different from all the other introductions and How To… books. The authors actually stayed with a Chicago family over the holiday and documented the occasion. Each of the seven holiday days has a two-page spread with photographs, explanations, and descriptions of what happened. Sidebars throughout explain the holiday and such things as why the family make a special effort to patronize African American owned businesses this week (Ujamaa, cooperative economics). Almost as good as being there! (Age 9-12)

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