Season’s readings
This year’s holiday books for the young and young-at-heart fall into a pretty narrow age range. If the person you’re shopping for isn’t between 3 and 93 years old, you may be out of luck. The selections below range from a delightful pop-up book to a counting book about a Spanish celebration to a story about a town that celebrates Christmas 364 days a year.
“Christmas,” by Robert Sabuda (ages 4 and up; Scholastic; $12.99). A letter book by the pop-up master, this stocking-stuffer-size book spells out C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s, and each page has a pop-up that begins with that letter. Readers will spend time examining the exquisite pop-ups, from the candle for C to the Santa for S.
“Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada!” by Virginia Kroll with illustrations by Loretta Lopez (ages 4-8; Viking Juvenile; $15.99). The author’s note at the back of this book explains that a posada is a party that re-enacts Joseph and Mary asking to be let into the inn on that first Christmas Eve. Kroll introduces Spanish words to count and prepare for the grand party where friends gather and wish each other good cheer.
“Merry Un-Christmas,” by Mike Reiss with illustrations by David Catrow (ages 4-8; HarperCollins; $15.99). Poor Noelle. She lives in Christmas City, Texmas, where every day is Christmas. Sound like fun? Not when you have to open presents every morning (another pony – yawn) and eat the same dinner every night (turkey, dressing and five kinds of pie – again?). Catrow’s expressive Cindy Lou Who lookalike wakes up on Un-Christmas morning and gets to do her favorite things – she goes to school, receives mail and best of all – TV dinners! Terrific tale that’s sure to prompt giggles as kids imagine Christmas every day.
“Christmas Remembered,” written and illustrated by Tomie DePaola (all ages; Putnam Juvenile; $19.99). In this delightful book that will appeal to many age groups, DePaola shares 15 autobiographical holiday stories. The first stories are from his childhood, then he adds fascinating tales from his life as a monk in Vermont, a Brooklyn art student and a young man in San Francisco. DePaola displays a different illustration technique also, creating mixed-media collages of paint, pencil, paper, wood and cloth.
“Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation,” written and illustrated by Linas Alsenas (ages 4-8; Scholastic; $16.99). Mrs. Claus usually stays home while Santa gets all the fun. This year, she takes off to enjoy a much-deserved vacation. She lounges on the beach and samples sushi, but eventually, as Christmas decorations begin to appear, she misses Santa. Meanwhile, back at the North Pole, Santa worries about his missus.
“Yoon and the Christmas Mitten,” by Helen Recorvits with illustrations by Gabi Swiatkowska (ages 5-8; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; $16). Little Yoon is excited to learn about the American custom of Santa Claus until her father tells her, “We are Korean. Santa Claus is not our custom.” Ever hopeful, Yoon pins a red mitten to her bedspread because her parents will not let her hang a stocking. In the end, Yoon reminds her parents that America is their home now, and they are both American and Korean. Beautiful paintings illustrate Yoon and the magic of Christmas.
“A Christmas Memory,” by Truman Capote with illustrations by Beth Peck (all ages; Alfred A. Knopf/Random House; $17.99). This 50th anniversary classic about Capote as a young boy, his elderly cousin, Buddy, and their holiday ritual of making fruitcakes, includes a CD with a reading of the story by Celeste Holm.