I have shared three roundups of new Christmas picture books as well as reviews of some other ones this month. Today I am sharing at another December holiday--Hanukkah and winter books for you to check out. We will start with the Hanukkah book. It is Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Hanukkah Party! by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by Tom Brannon. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
About the Book:
Join Dr. Seuss’s beloved character Horton the elephant as he discovers the joys and traditions of Hanukkah with help from the Whos!Don’t miss the Netflix original series Dr. Seuss’s Horton!
On an evening quite cool, on a snow-blowy night
In the Jungle of Nool, which was covered in white,
Horton the elephant had just gone to sleep
When a noise woke him up. It was barely a peep…
Horton the elephant is as observant and kind as ever in this festive picture book about the Jewish celebration of miracles and freedom.
When Horton hears joyful singing one night, the kangaroos and the Wickersham brothers are sure he is not right. But when Horton hears new distant sounds and smells over seven nights, he knows that he isn’t dreaming!
On the eighth night, Horton and his friends discover the source of the mystery, as the Whos invite them to a very special celebration.
Written and illustrated in the iconic style of Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who!, this Hanukkah read-aloud is perfect for learning about Hanukkah traditions and celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights.
From Me:
Horton is at it again. He keeps hearing noises at night, but the other animals don't hear them and think he is imagining it all. It takes eight nights but that is when Horton and his animal friends discover the Whos are having a Hanukkah party. The Whos teach Horton and his friends about the holiday and how they celebrate it.
I love that this book brings back favorite Dr. Seuss characters and teaches all about the holiday and the reason for the holiday. It has many of the favorite Hanukkah foods and activities. For more resources about Hanukkah including crafts, books and more, check out our posts here.
Our next book is written by a figure skater. She shares some of her personal experience in this fictional book. It is Lolly on the Ice by Sarah S. Brannen. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
About the Book:
A sparkling winter tale about self-confidence on and off the ice.Lolly loves ice, and skating on it is her happy place. But when she performs in front of other people….well, her insecurities get the best of her, and she freezes.
When her dad encourages her to try out for the Winter Showcase, she realizes that maybe the spotlight could be her happy place, too. But can she still skate with all eyes on her, especially when she doesn’t look like the other skaters do?
This sweetly encouraging tale is perfect for anyone who has wanted to shine–but wondered if they could.
From Me:
Lolly loves ice skating. She spins, jumps and glides. She however tends to freeze up if anyone besides her father is watching her. He encourages her to try out for the ice show. She however freezes in front of the judges. She gets the role of a snowman. Snowmen don't move. She watches as the other skaters glide, spin and jump in the spotlights. Then one of the snowflake teams gets hurt. They will get canceled from the show with just two skaters. Lolly slowly steps up saying she will try. She has to find her confidence to skate with the team. She learned that trying is the most important thing.
This is a wonderful story of a girl finding her confidence. She loves skating and is good at it. She just worries about embarrassing herself when she skates in front of others. When she is needed and she tries she discovers she can do it. It is a book about finding the confidence to try. It is a perfect book for anyone who is lacking confidence to try or someone who needs a push forward. It is also a great book about ice skating and trying your best. I can see this book being enjoyed in a class as well as during the winter. It would be fun to talk about winter activities. Lolly skates both at a rink as well as on a frozen body of water in her yard. For some crafts and other books about ice skating check out our posts here.
Our final book for today is a magical one about a snowman who finds that he keeps changing and wonders who he is. The book is Snow Kid by Jessie Sima. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
About the Book:
From the New York Times bestselling creator of Not Quite Narwhal, Jessie Sima, comes a “gentle, reassuring” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) wintery picture book about a snow kid finding out what it means to be themself!Meet Twig, the snow kid! Like all snow kids, Twig was made from many snowflakes, twigs, stones, a crisp orange carrot, and a very fine hat. What a wonderful thing it is to be Twig! Except…could they still be Twig if a strong breeze blows away their hat? As Twig chases after the hat, more things keep changing, and they keep growing and moving and talking. Is there still a way to go back to being Twig?
Maybe not. But maybe there’s more than one way to be a snow person, and it can be fun to walk and talk and grow and change. Twig can find snow people like them even as they’re still learning how to become Twig, and that’s a wonderful thing!
From Me:
A diverse group of kids make a snowman kid. They give him twigs for arms, a carrot for a nose, stones for eyes and a mouth, and a fun hat. They decide to call him Twig. After the kids leave Twig's hat blows away. Twig discovers he can move and decides to go after his hat after all he isn't Twig without his hat or the way the kids made him. Twig has fun as he chases his hat. He also changes in different ways. He gains weight and his carrot nose gets eaten. He struggles with his identity. His he still Twig? He comes to terms and discovers who he really is.
Twig's adventure is really a journey of self-discovery. He discovers as he changes he is still himself. He enjoys exploring the world as well as learning about himself. He tries different noses until he finds one that feels like him. It is truly a book about self-discovery and that it is ok to change. He eventually comes to place where all sorts of snowpeople are moving and playing and changing themselves. For some crafts and more snowman books check out these posts here.
