New Year’s Eve

‘Twas the last day of December,

What we call New Year’s Eve,

A whole year had flown by,

It was hard to believe.

So begins The Night Before New Year’s by Natasha Wing. Written in verse, it is the story of a family who plan a New Year’s family party with special privileges for the kids to stay awake long enough to greet the New Year. Even family games and a late-night walk aren’t enough to keep the kids from getting sleepy. The narrator, one of the two children, also struggles with deciding on a New Year resolution. Both problems are solved when the narrator awakes in broad daylight and resolves to stay awake next New Year’s Eve. Amy Wummer’s cheerful illustrations add to the fun of reading this book.

Rudyard Kipling’s Birthday

Most children know of Rudyard Kipling from the 2016 Disney movie, The Jungle Book, but there is much more to the works of Kipling. The Just So Stories, originally published in 1902, are a wonderful introduction to children to the works of Kipling. The Just-So stories are descriptive stories about animals and their characteristics, explaining such things as why the rhinoceros has wrinkly skin and why the elephant has such a long trunk. Some of the story titles are: How the Camel Got His Hump, The Elephant’s Child, How the Alphabet was Made, How the First Letter Was Written, and The Beginning of the Armadillos. There are twelve illustrated stories, plus a 13th tale written for the American version published in 1903. This is a fun and fanciful read aloud book from a classic author. These are stories for children of all ages. Older children may also enjoy reading The Jungle Book and then moving on to the novels: Kim and Captains Courageous.

Tick Tock Day

For Tick Tock Day, The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay is a great selection. The original book was published in 1988. This book is the third revised edition, and like the original, it has humor and understandable explanations supported by illustrations and characters like the wooly mammoth. If the teen in your life loves physics or wants to understand it and our world of machines better, this book will bring hours of pleasure. Don’t be surprised if adults also find it fascinating and want to visit it again and again.

Pledge of Allegiance Day

December 28 is the day Congress formally recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. I learned from I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin Jr. (author of Brown Bear Brown Bear What do You See?) and Michael Sampson that the Pledge was originally written for children and published in a children’s magazine. I love the illustrations in this book and the clear explanations that benefit all of us. The text includes the words of the pledge with commentary and illustrations to help explain what those words mean and some of the history of the flag. In the back there is information on how, when, and why the pledge was established. It’s a wonderful book that tackles a big concept and brings it down to a child’s level, teaching them the pledge and also pledge etiquette or “things you can do while saying the pledge.” The authors state: “The United States of America is a country built on some big ideas–unity and variety, fairness and freedom, creativity and equality. American grows and changes as the world changes, but we always try to hold on to the principles of ‘liberty and justice for all’.”

Visit the Zoo Day

Photo Ark ABC: An Animal Alphabet in Poetry and Pictures written by Debbie Levyis the perfect book for kids who love animals and words. This National Geographic Kids book is an entertaining combination of poetry and photography. Beginning with armadillo and ending with zebra, it has fun poems about all the animals. Joel Sartore’s photographs and illustrations help children visualize the animals. I think both kids and also the adults who read aloud to them will have fun with Photo Ark ABC.

Thank You Note Day

December 26 is a good day to start thinking about thank you notes. The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera is a cute book about a little girl named Grace writing thank you notes after her birthday. It’s a reminder that thank you notes can bring joy to the giver and the receiver. The book has many examples of thank you notes from Grace, which are short and to the point. The book begins with Grace writing a birthday list of things she wants. After her birthday party she writes notes to everyone who gave her a gift, but she doesn’t stop there. She continues to write thank you notes–to the cat, the dog, the sky, her teacher, a lady in the store. One day she receives lots of notes of loving notes in return. It’s a gentle reminder of the joy, and the power, in the lost art of thank you notes.

Christmas Day

The Christmas Story for Children by Max Lucado, Randy Frazee, and Karen Hill begins with God’s promise to the Jewish people to send a Messiah. It tells the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and continues with Jesus’s life until he is baptized. A wonderful choice to read during Advent, this book inspires conversation about what Jesus’s birth means to us today. Fausto Bianchi’s vivid illustrations add to the beauty and comprehension of the story.

Christmas Eve

This is the night before Christmas and in many homes there will be children listening to the story of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. A Creature was Stirring is a book for those who may want a twist to the classic poem. New Yorker cover artist Carter Goodrich has beautifully illustrated the poem by Moore, but also wrote and illustrated a story about what is happening in one household where one creature is stirring. On one page are the words to the classic Clement Moore poem, on the facing page is the story of a little boy who can’t sleep on the night before Christmas. The little boy squirms and struggles because he knows, from the poem, that he should be asleep. He pretends to sleep, but when he hears the clatter on the rooftop, he has to look. This is a fun book for children who still believe in Santa and for those who may be starting to question–a great family read aloud.

Family Roots Day

Going Home, Coming Home by Truong Tran is written in both English and Vietnamese. Ami Chi and her parents go to Vietnam to visit family. The parents speak of Vietnam as home. At first Ami feels strange in Vietnam, but soon Ami learns to love her family in Vietnam. By the time she leaves, she feels as though she has two homes – one for the left side of her heart and one for the right side. Ann Phong’s beautiful illustrations add to the pleasure of reading a book about the joys of connecting with family.

National Cookie Exchange Day

A World of Cookies for Santa takes children on a trip around the world, beginning with Christmas Island, Santa’s first stop. Children in each location leave Santa cookies, favorites from their country. The children on Christmas Island leave coconut macaroons using coconut from the many coconut trees growing on their island. Next stop is New Zealand, where the children leave Anzac biscuits and hay and carrots for the reindeer. Then on to Australia where it’s summer so Santa gets a cool glass of milk or beer with his treats. This is a fun way to introduce kids to some of the ways Christmas is celebrated around the world. In the back of the book there are a few recipes to try so you can create your own international cookie exchange!