Winter Solstice and Celebrate Short Fiction

For the Winter Solstice and Celebrate Short Fiction Day, The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales From Around the World for the Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVickar Edwards is a great choice. Featuring traditional stories from different continents with an explanation of the cultures, these stories fall into the category of family books and would be fun to read and discuss during the long winter nights. As an added bonus, the back of the book has lyrics for songs set to familiar music, so reading can be followed by a family sing-along. Reading this book, which is divided into three sections of four stories each, can easily be spread out over twelve nights.

National Caroling Day

The Friendly Beasts by Tomie dePaola is based on an old English Christmas carol. The words of this unfamiliar carol tell the story of what the animals in the manger gave to the baby Jesus on that first Christmas morning. The illustrations are beautiful. The song lyrics provide a good introduction to the Christmas story in simple terms. The donkey carries the mother to the stable. The cow offers the manger for the baby to sleep. The sheep provides wool for a warm blanket. Doves sing a lullaby. The story is given more depth through the illustrations that include the three kings and shepherds. This is a great example of how picture books can help explain through words and illustrations some of the meaning in our holidays.

A Christmas Carol Published 1843

December 19, 1843, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published in England. This short book is probably the most well-known of all Christmas classics. Scrooge, whose name has become synonymous with miserliness, is so cold within that all his features appear frozen, giving him a sharp, steely look. Everyone knows what his “bah, humbug!” means. He definitely does his best to put a damper on everyone’s Christmas joy.  He seems utterly hopeless. When he is visited in a dream by the three spirits of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future, he comes to realize the damage and isolation of his miserly ways and miraculously changes. A Christmas Carol is a book for all ages and like other Christmas traditions, is enjoyable year after year.

Twin Day

No Two Alike, written and illustrated by Keith Baker is a simple, beautiful book. As we celebrate twins today, it’s good to remember that as much as they may look alike, each twin is an individual with their own personality and characteristics. This message comes through in the illustrations and the words in this book, as the author compares snowflakes, nests, forests, and tracks to show that no two are alike. Even the two birds, who stand out in bright red, seem to be alike, but there are differences. It’s a sweet book with a reminder for all of us to appreciate differences.

Wright Brothers Day

Wright Brothers by Annette Whipple is a good choice for third and fourth graders. Although it is easy to read, it’s filled with information – some that most adults likely don’t know. The sixty-six page book is divided into seven chapters and has lots of support for readers in the form of questions and graphics. I like the fact that it may appeal to reluctant readers since it can be read in short spurts. It also has a great message for children by teaching the value of persistence.

Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is the true story of a little girl who experienced life in Berlin after WWII in 1948. It was a desperate time, and when Stalin blockaded the city, food and essential supplies were cut off. American and British pilots began flying supplies into the city in what became known as the Berlin Air Lift. One day one pilot, Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen, saw the many children who were affected. He wanted to give them something more, but all he had were two sticks of gum. There were over 30 children hungry and in need of hope. The pilot decided to do something about it. He told the children to watch for his plane. He would wiggle the wings and then he would drop candy for them. The next time he flew he dropped hundreds of pieces of candy in parachutes made from handkerchiefs for the children. One mission turned into many, and he quickly became known as the Chocolate Pilot. The children responded by writing letters to thank him and encourage him to continue. Americans responded to the story and began sending him handkerchiefs and candy for the air drop. The story is about Mercedes, a little girl who wrote to the pilot about her frustration over not being able to get candy at the air drop. The pilot was touched by the letter and sent a package directly to her. Over twenty years later, the pilot was assigned to the Berlin air base again, and he met Mercedes, who never forgot his act of kindness to the children.

National Cat Herder’s Day

Although Cat Herder’s Day sounds like a day to honor cats, it actually comes from the idiom “like herding cats” and is meant to honor those who are capable of managing through all kinds of circumstances. The Beatryce Phrophecy by Kate DiCamillo tells the story of Beatryce, a bedraggled sick girl who finds herself in the monastery where the Chronicles of Sorrowing are written. With its medieval setting in a time of war, the book reads like an ancient legend. The unlikely characters who love Beatryce are a hard-headed goat, a former king, a wild-eyed monk, and a boy with a sword. The troubles they meet are prodigious, but in true cat-herders tradition, the brave, determined Beatryce always moves forward to face what is to come, no matter how grave the danger. Readers of all ages will love getting to know Beatryce who, unlike other females in that time and place, can read and write and has a head full of mystical stories. Sophie Blackall’s black and white illustrations look like medieval sketches and help young readers understand the setting. All Kate DiCamillo fans will enjoy this new book.

Monkey Day

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, from England, are the author and illustrator of the classic book, The Gruffalo. Monkey Puzzle is a clever, cute story about a monkey who can’t find his “mum.” Butterfly tries to help by asking monkey to describe his mum. Monkey starts describing parts of his mum, which leads to all sorts of confusion as butterfly misunderstands the description and takes monkey to the wrong animal in the forest. At the end monkey wonders why butterfly can’t understand that his mum looks just like him, but all the other animals look different. Butterfly then realizes how the two have become so confused. Butterfly children don’t look anything like butterflies. Problem solved, and butterfly leads monkey to his dad who takes him to his mum. It’s a cute rhyming story that young children will love.

Violin Day

The Dance of the Violin written by Kathy Stinson and Illustrated by Dusan Petricic is the story of a boy who makes music on cardboard boxes and with rubber bands until his parents give him a violin and music lessons. As he plays the violin, stories swirl through his head, and young readers can see the joy of music. When he sees a competition in Kalamazoo, he wants to compete for an opportunity to play with the orchestra. He struggles with nervousness before he goes on stage, and much to his dismay, he makes mistakes when he plays. Just as he is about to leave the stage, he asks the judge to allow him to play again. This time he does the best he has ever done, and dancers swirl through his head as he plays. This book teaches children that mistakes are part of life and lets them know the value of second chances.  

National Gingerbread House Day

What better way to celebrate Gingerbread House Day than by reading about the iconic Gingerbread Man. The Library Gingerbread Man by Dotti Enderle is a fun and fanciful retelling of the story with a great twist at the end. It includes references to story characters as it weaves its way through the Dewey Decimal System as the Library Gingerbread Man runs, runs as fast as he can. This is a fast paced story that both children and parents will enjoy. The illustrations by Colleen M. Madden provide lots of extra talking points if you take time to look at the books on the shelves as the Gingerbread Man runs by. So fun–and it will get you into the holiday spirit.