Stick Man

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Published by Arthru A. Levine Books
2008

Stick Man lives in the family tree

With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three.

     One day, Stick Man decides to go for a jog and a dog catches him.  He carries Stick Man all the way back to his owner who uses him to play fetch over and over.

I'm no a stick! Why can't you see,

I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man,

I'm STICK MAN, that's me,

And I want to go home to the family tree!

     Unfortunately nobody seems to hear Stick Man's cries, and through a series of misfortunes he gets pass around. He's thrown into a river, becomes part of swan's nest, a flag pole of a sand castle, a sword for play fights, a hook for a bag, a pen, a bow, a bat, a boomerang, a snowman arm.

Stick Man is lonely, Stick Man is lost.

Stick Man is frozen and covered in frost.

Stick Man is weary. His eyes start to close.

He stretches and yawns and lies down for a doze.

     In his slumber, Stick Man doesn't realize he's been picked up as kindling. As he lays in the chimney he's awaken by Santa who's gotten stuck. Stick Man saves the day and joins Santa on his sleigh all the way back to his family tree.

     If you've followed this blog for a while, you'll know by now that we're big fans of Donaldson. I'm not easy to please when it comes to rhyming books, but Donaldson makes the rhymes flow with such ease, they just sound musical and never, ever, forced.  Scheffler's illustrations are always a treat. Stick Man is a fantastic read aloud, sure to please and entertain readers of all ages.  Great story, great pacing, smooth rhymes. What else can you want of a Holiday story?

Olivia Helps With Christmas

Olivia Helps With Christmas by Ian Falconer

Illustrated by Ian Falconer

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2007

     Olivia is one of our favorite characters in this house. We love her spunk, attitude and more than anything, we love her awesome creativity. 

     It's the night before Christmas and Olivia can't contain her excitement.  By four o'clock she's already impatiently looking up the chimney and checking outside the window for any sign of reindeer.  She helps her mom untangle the Christmas lights-actually, she gets all tangled up in the Christmas lights.  She helps her mom set the table, sings carols with the family, and puts the cookies out for Santa.  As it happens to every kid on Christmas Eve, Olivia lays in her bed and tries to stay awake long enough to hear sleigh bells ring on her roof.  Sleep wins.  Its now Christmas Day and Olivia and her brothers rush down the stairs to open all of their gifts.  They spend the day playing with their new toys (sled, skies and maracas).  Olivia, being Olivia, gives her parents a humongous self portrait.
     Falconer's illustrations are amazing, as usual.  His charcoals and goache mixed with photographs are delightful.  The couple of double page spread-outs offer surprises and laughs.  We never get tiered of reading this one during the holidays.

Santa Duck and His Merry Helpers

Santa Duck and His Merry Helpers by David Milgrin
Illustrated by David Milgrin
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
2010

     Santa Duck is back.  Nicholas has embraced his job as Santa's helper.  This time around he has to deal with his pesky three little siblings.  They want to help Nicholas but they keep driving him crazy.  They are promising outrageous gifts to all the animals, like the Hoover Dam to the beaver and 50 bottles of perfume to the skunk.  Nicholas tries to explain to his siblings the true meaning of Christmas and along the way they teach him a lesson too.
     Santa Duck and His Merry Helpers is an entertaining read aloud.  The cartoon like illustrations and dialogue bubbles will appeal to the youngest readers.  Don't be afraid to sing along with Nicholas and his siblings as you read it aloud.

Over and Under the Snow

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Art by Christopher Silas Neal
Published by Chronicle Books
2011

     On a winter day, as you venture deep into the woods to go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, you can hear the crunch of the snow beneath your feet.  You might see a deer or a red squirrel and everything seems quiet and still. But "under the snow is a whole secret kingdom, where the smallest forest animals stay safe and warm."  There are little tunnels where tiny shrews hide from predators, where voles looks for food, and fat bullfrogs snooze. Under the snow a bear sleeps with its belly still full of berries and trouts from the fall, and a queen bee "drowses away December, all alone."
     It's hard to write about Over and Under the Snow without wanting to just quote the whole book. It's that good! Its beautiful language quietly flows from page to page, with a lyrical tone mirrored by the beautiful art created by Silas Neal. The images created by Messner's text place us inside the snowy forest, along for the ride with the father and daughter exploring the wonders of nature on a winter's day. And at the end, we can feel the slumber brought on by the trek, and "lean back with heavy eyes", enjoying a roasted marshmallow as the fire makes the "shadows dance in the flames."
     Over and Under the Snow will open readers' eyes to the world of wonders that nature offers every winter. I doubt I'll ever walk through the woods of the Hudson Valley and not think about all that's hidden under the snow.  At the end of the book, Messner has added a detailed explanation of the facts included in the book, with descriptions of each animal from the tale (as well as other resources to explore).
     What a quiet gem! Simply beautiful.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel
Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Publisher: Holiday House
1985

     It was the first night of Hanukkah and Hershel of Ostropol was walking in the snow towards the nearest village. He was tired and hungry and looking forward to celebrating Hanukkah with lights, songs and plates of potato latkes.  But when he arrived to the town, he found not a single candle lit and learned that the villagers were not allowed to celebrate Hanukkah.  Goblins had harassed them for years.  They haunted the old synagogue, they would blow out the candles as soon as they were lit and throw out their potato latkes.  Hershel offered to get rid of the goblins.  The rabbi told him he had to stay at the old synagogue and light the menorah for eight consecutive nights, making sure that the last candle was lit by the king of the goblins.  Each night Hershel confronts a different goblin and rises to the challenge of outwitting each one of them.  He even tricks the king of the goblin to light the eighth candle, hence disarming him of all his powers.
     Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins is a thrilling read aloud.  The illustrations by Hyman are wonderful and the text by Kimmel is completely enthralling.  There is an appendix at the end of the book here Kimmel explains the meaning and history of Hanukkah, the menorah, dreidel and latkes.  This is a great addition to the holiday libraries at home and at school.  

The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming

The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: a Christmas Story by Lemony Snicket

Illustrated by Lisa Brown 

Publisher: McSweeney's Books

2007

     In a tiny village a terrible noise is heard coming from the one of the houses.  The house was "already regarded with some suspicion, as it was the only place not decorated with flashing colored lights at this time of the year."  The noise is a loud scream, and the one screaming is a latke -a potato pancake.  The latkes are a traditional part of the celebration of Hanukah.  This night, a latke was thrown into a pan full of hot olive oil, and as soon as it felt the heat, it jumped back out and ran away screaming.  On her way out of town, the latke runs past colored lights who are annoyed at her for making so much noise and stealing the spotlight from them. "We're the ones who are supposed to be dominating the neighborhood with our cheerful glow!"  As the latke explains to the lights the origins of Hanukah, they seem to completely miss the point: "so you're basically hash browns." The Christmas lights try to fit the latke into their holiday framework, while the potato pancake tries to explain that she's something completely different.  She has the same problem when she runs into a candy cane and a pine tree.  Thankfully, a family who celebrates Hanukah finds the latke in the forest and brings her back to their home. Where, unfortunately, she screams again as she's being eaten.

     The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming is one of the most original and thought provoking holiday books I've ever read.  It's quirky but full of message.  Snicket uses some advanced vocabulary, followed by their definitions (a reminder of his work in A Series of Unfortunate Events...which I guess it's exactly while this was for the poor latke....)  The story manages to entertain while teaching the story of Hanukah.  The book opens up a door to a discussion in the upper elementary classrooms about diversity and different religions; about respect, restraint and community.  There are a couple of nuances that only adults might catch.  Overall, a fantastic find to bring to my students and everybody else this time of year.  

Reindeer Christmas

Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton
Illustrated by Karen Hillard Good
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2008

     On a winter night, two children and their grandmother step out into the snowy field with baskets full of treats for the forest animals.  They noticed a deer laying in the snow, its eyes closed and a faint glow around him (in the illustrations we can also see a sleigh bell next to him).  They bring the deer inside and take care of him, making sure he's fed and warm.  Later that night, as the children are falling asleep in the room, one of them sees the deer flying across the sky.  When Christmas day arrives, the children find that aside from the presents by the tree, there is a letter from Santa Claus, thanking them for having taken care of Donner. There had been a bad storm and Donner had lost his way. As a special gift of thanks, Santa Claus gives the family a little box filled with magic reindeer glow.  "Hold this box and make a wish, then close your sleepy eyes, and you will see your wish come true before the next sunrise." What wish would you make?
     Reindeer Christmas is a tender and touching book to add to the holiday read aloud shelf.  It's written in rhyme.  The rhymes and the beautifully illustrations with a frosty sepia touch give the book a timeless feeling. Heartwarming and sweet.