Buy it: The Nutcracker – A Magical Pop-Up Adventure
The Nutcracker – A Magical Pop-Up Adventure (By Nick Denchfield) – My daughter Ally, age 5, has seen the Nutcracker ballet a couple of times and loves it. But before she saw it for the first time, my mother-in-law gave her this book to help her understand the story behind the ballet. This book features an easy to understand telling of the Nutcracker as well as fun flaps to lift and some absolutely amazing pop-up pages. Ally loves to look at this book, which features a “growing” Christmas tree, a spinning Sugarplum Fairy and wonderful pop-ups of the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets. A great gift idea for children who are about to see or have seen the Nutcracker.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Dream Snow
Dream Snow (By Eric Carle) – On a small farm there is a farmer, who looks a lot like Santa Claus, who has five animals. He named them One, Two, Three, Four and Five. On evening, right before Christmas, the farmer fell asleep in his chair and dreamed of falling snowflakes that covered him and his animals in a white blanket. There are clear pages decorated with snowflakes that children can lift up to see the sleeping farmer and animals underneath. When the farmer wakes up, he sees that it really has snowed outside. He dresses up in his red coat, hat and boots and goes outside with a sack over his shoulder. He decorates the tree next to the barn and puts presents under it for all the animals. Then he shouted “Merry Christmas to all!” My daughter, age 5, loves lifting up the clear pages to see the farmer and animals sleeping under their “snow blankets.” And she also loves the last page, which features a button she can push to play music to go with the Christmas scene.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Christmas Trolls
Christmas Trolls (By Jan Brett) – Christmas decorations and gifts keep disappearing from Treva’s home. Soon she discovers that two trolls have been stealing them. The trolls explain that they want Christmas too. Treva explains that you can’t just take Christmas. She decides to help them make a Christmas of their own and she and the trolls work together to decorate and get ready for the holiday. Then Treva gives them her favorite Christmas decoration as a gift. On Christmas morning, Treva finds that the trolls have left her a present that they made themselves. Now she knows that they truly understand the meaning of the holiday.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: The Little Toy Shop
The Little Toy Shop (By Frances Wolfe) – There is a toy shop, owned by Mr. Kringle, who likes to find just the right home for each toy. A bunny and teddy bear become friends as they wait on the shelf to be given homes. A girl comes in and loves the bunny the minute she holds him. She says she will return to buy him the next day. But the bunny is mistakenly sold to another child, who does not like the bunny. Mr. Kringle finds the bunny and knows that he and the little girl belong together. On Christmas Eve, Mr. Kringle becomes Santa and fills his bag with toys. On Christmas morning the little girl opens a present and finds the bunny inside. Both the bunny and girl are overjoyed to be together. The girl also receives the teddy bear, who was bunny’s friend at the toy shop. The girl has enough love for both toys.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: The Polar Express
The Polar Express (By Chris Van Allsburg) – A boy lays in bed waiting to hear the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh, but instead he hears a train stop outside his house. It’s the Polar Express and its filled with children in the pajamas headed for the North Pole. The boy hops on. When he meets Santa he asks for one of the bells from Santa’s sleigh. Santa gives it to him, but when he’s heading home the boy discovers he’s lost the bell. On Christmas morning, he finds a small box under the tree and inside is the bell. There is a note from Santa telling the boy to fix the hole in his pocket. The boy rings the bell but his parents can’t hear it ringing. The boy discovers it only rings for those who believe.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (By Dr. Seuss) – This is the classic Christmas book about the true meaning of the holiday. The Grinch hates Christmas and comes up with a plan to stop it from coming. He sneaks into the houses of the Whos in Who-ville and steals all of the presents and decorations. And while the Grinch is expecting the Whos to wake up Christmas morning and cry, he instead hears them singing. The Grinch realizes that Christmas came without all the presents and decorations. Then the Grinch realizes that Christmas is about more than things. He returns everything and joins the Whos for Christmas dinner.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Santa Knows
Santa Knows (By Cynthia Greg and Leitich Smith) – Alfie is a young boy who doesn’t believe in Santa. He spends all his time trying to prove there is no Santa and trying to convince everyone else. But Alfie is making his sister Noelle very sad because she does believe in Santa. Noelle writes to Santa and says that all she wants for Christmas is a nicer brother. On Christmas Eve, Alfie stays up and meets Santa himself. Then Alfie goes to Santa’s workshop where he winds up wrapped inside a huge box. As Alfie sits inside the box, he realizes Noelle was right about Santa and he wishes he had been nicer to her. On Christmas morning, Noelle finds the big box underneath her tree and inside is Alfie, ready to be a nicer brother.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Snowie Rolie
Snowie Rolie (By William Joyce) – Olie lives in a world where it never snows, until one day the sun blows a lightbulb and it starts to snow. Olie and his sister Zowie build a snowman – Mr. Snowie – and they spend a fun day sledding and playing with their new friend. But soon the sun gets a new bulb and the snow begins to melt. Olie and Zowie take their snowman to Chillsville where they are greeted by Klanky Klaus and other snowmen. The children are sad as they say good-bye to the Mr. Snowie, but they know he will be safe in his new home. The next morning, Olie and Zowie find a present where Mr. Snowie once stood in the yard – a snow globe with the figures of Mr. Snowie, Olie and Zowie together inside.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Santa’s Suit
Santa’s Suit (By Kate Lee) – I bought this book for my daughter when she was one-year-old and she still loves it now as a preschooler. In this touch and feel book, Santa is bored with his red suit and wants to wear something different. On each page, Santa is shown trying on a different colored suit but he finds something wrong with each one. His white suit makes him look like a polar bear and the green suit makes him look like a Christmas tree. In the end, Santa’s wife reminds him that red is his favorite color and he should look like himself. This is a great book for teaching colors and textures to very small children but is also a sweet Christmas book as children grow.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: The Bird in Santa’s Beard
The Bird in Santa’s Beard (By Jeffery L. Schatzer with Mark Bush and Don Rutt) – For those kids who wonder why so many people dress up as Santa each Christmas, this book solves the mystery. In this story, Santa takes in a small bird, who didn’t fly south for the winter, and lets her stay warm by building a nest in his beard. Soon there are eggs in the nest and Santa realizes he won’t be able to visit the children, without disturbing the bird and her eggs. Santa decides to ask his grown-up friends to be his helpers and visit the children dressed like him. On Christmas Eve, the eggs are strong enough to be moved to a branch of the Christmas tree and Santa is able to deliver presents. This story is only made better by the amazing and humorous photographs that accompany it.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
