While I celebrated the one Hanukkah book I was sent to review this year, a whole sleigh full of Christmas books arrived. So goes the season, right? OK, I confess, I even did some work on a couple Christmas books myself.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen
We learned how Dinosaurs celebrated Hanukkah, and now we can learn how they celebrate Christmas. Do dinosaurs peek at their presents, or take ornaments off the tree? Do they sloppily eat the cookies left out for St. Nick? No way. Dinosaurs go caroling, and help trim the tree, and give grandparents Christmas Eve wishes. Thats what good little dinosaurs do.
Adventures in Cartooning: Christmas Specialby James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost
At Olives birthday party this year, our party favors were Muji pens and copies of theAdventures in Cartooning Activity Book. Now were treated to the Christmas Special where Santa laments that kids no longer want the toys from his workshop or the printed page. But then he thinks, Comics! and blammo! Who should appear but the Magical Cartooning Elf. Were treated to a great comic adventure that ends with a Christmas miracle. Kids put down their video games and start drawing comics! (Ordinarily I dont like seeing video games pitted as the bad guy, but this book is funny enough that Ill allow it.)
Elfbot by Joey and Maria Andrade
OK, so I did a bit of consulting on this book about Santas greatest invention, Elfbots. You know Elfbots, right? The robots designed by Santa that make toys? This story follows one of these Elfbots as he discovers he wants tobe the toy, notmakethe toys. This book, available for Nook Kids is going to be a geek classics, not just for the robots, but because it stars Mark Hamill as Santa and Jane Lynch as the Head Elf. Dudes, you heard me right
Luke Skywalker and Sue Sylvester!
Christmas Elf by Sharon Bilman
Another Nook Book I worked on this year is this sweet book by my good friend, Sharon Bilman. Sam is counting down the days until Santa comes, and he decides to be a Christmas Elf to help Mom and Dad with all of the Christmas things that need doin. Making cookies, trimming the tree, hanging the lights, and of course, writing a letter to Santa.
Pete the Cat Saves Christmasby Eric Litwin and James Dean
When Santa gets sick, who does he call to save Christmas? Pete the Cat! Until this book I was not familiar with Pete the Cat, but judging by his surfboard and minibus, he seems like a cool customer. He loads up the minibus with presents and hitches up to the reindeer team. Totally groovy. Even though hes small, Pete gives Christmas his all. Theres even a little song about it.
My Beastly Book of Tangled Tinselby Christine Roussey
You may already know this about me, but Im a sucker for doodle books like this. More than a coloring book, this beastly book has ideas for a Christmas Every Day petition, a prompt to draw a snow goat, and a place under a halo to draw yourself to prove to Santa how good youve been this year.
Santa on the Loose!by Bruce Hale
If youve given up looking for Waldo, you can try to find Santa in the dense, Christmasy illustrations by Dave Garbot. With Santa youll find on each page youll find a clue. Add up those clues to find out
who stole the toys at the North Pole! Duh
duh
duh
.
Hows that for leaving Christmas on a cliffhanger?
