We’ve pulled the winter books from our shelves and placed them in easily accessible locations. With them always out, we remember to delve in and treasure these holiday reads during this time of year (the holiday season passes so quickly, doesn’t it?!). We have baskets overflowing with tales about late night owling walks, first snows, short days, and holiday treats.
Here are some our favorite winter and holiday books as we head into December.
First, books our daughter loves, then some special ones that mama’s particularly fond of to get us excited and ready for the holidays.
Wintry books for kids:
Winter Is the Warmest Season
, full of hot chocolate, warm snuggles, and thick layers of blankets and clothes, reminds us that winter doesn’t have to feel cold.
The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
explains in lyric prose what the winter solstice is and how it has been observed by various cultures throughout history; additionally it shows how many contemporary holiday traditions were borrowed from ancient solstice celebrations.
Poppleton In Winter
, from the beloved series by Cynthia Rylant, this Poppleton story is full of new friends, birthdays sleigh rides and winter art projects.
Henry and Mudge In The Sparkle Days
, Henry and Mudge and a Very Merry Christmas
, and Henry and Mudge and The Snowman Plan
, three other tales by Cynthia Rylant celebrating holiday traditions such as caroling, feeding the birds, baking cutout cookies, and snuggling in front of the fire. Such simple yet joyous activities that resonate with kids.
Owl Moon
, a beloved tale from my childhood, about a little girl on a late night winter walk with her father in search of owls. (We’ve been reenacting this story in our living room all week, but in our version there’s an owl baby too!)
Apple Tree Christmas
tells the tale of a family celebrating Christmas on a small farm in rural southern Michigan in the late 1800′s.
Jan Brett’s classic re-tales The Mitten
and The Hat
feature her beautifully detailed illustrations that convey a story in themselves!
The Snowy Day
just because we live in a place without snow doesn’t mean we can’t go on a snowy adventure with this classic winter tale.
Yaroslava’s beautiful, stylized yet simplistic illustrations make Alvin Tresselt’s rendition of The Mitten
a must buy for the artwork alone (even though I prefer Jan Brett’s version, above, more overall for the quality and clarity of the story).
Two beloved Angelina Ballerina books, Angelina’s Christmas
and Angelina Ice Skates
, both of which our daughter adores and we find ourselves reading all year, not just in the winter.
I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles
for hours of eye candy and riddling for kids of all ages.
Snow
a simple, beautiful poem about winter by Cynthia Rylant.
We love them all!
Seasonal books for the mamas:
I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More
is full of tips about creating a more eco-groovy holiday, including gift ideas, tasty recipes, and many holiday projects relying on recycled materials. One of my favorite holiday books for sure!
The Farm Chicks Christmas: Merry Ideas for the Holidays
contains many creative, festive and repurposed projects; I especially love the idea of stuffing packages and cushioning your presents with individually wrapped mints or candies.
Country Living Merry & Bright: 301 Festive Ideas for Celebrating Christmas
contains lots of eye candy and easy decorating ideas to celebrate Christmas Country Living style.
Martha Stewart’s Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Inspired Projects for Year-Round Celebrations
, a compilation of the best Martha Stewart Living Magazine holiday crafts for celebrations all year long. This book contains two fantastic sections focusing on Hanukkah and Christmas crafts! (For my sneak peak inside this book, click here.)
