Holiday Picks: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

With snow in the forecast, temperatures dropping, and people digging out their mittens and hats, it's officially December!  Enjoy a holiday pick each day before Christmas.

Written by Clement C. Moore.  Illustrated by Kat Whelan.  Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales, 2010.

The night before Christmas, everyone is asleep in bed, the children and parents.  Hearing noises on the front lawn, the father looks out and sees Santa riding through the air on the sled led by reindeer.  Santa lands on the roof, shimmies down the chimney, and distributes gifts.  When his work is finished, he goes back up the chimney to his sleigh and off into the air to the next house exclaiming "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

This classic Christmas poem gets a boost by the illustrations.  Instead of people, mice are the characters in this story, even Santa!  Thick pages full of glittery touches add a special feel to this timeless story.  Children will enjoy exploring the pictures for the glittery snow and looking at all the details.  Will you be reading this poem to your family this Christmas?

Benny and Penny: Just Pretend

By Geoffrey Hayes

GRAPHIC NOVEL (all ages)

Benny and Penny are brother and sister. Benny is pretending to be a swashbuckling pirate and his little sister Penny wants to play with him too. But Benny doesn't want Penny tagging along after him, so he tells her "No! Pirates are brave, and you are a cry-baby." But their mom makes him, so he decides to play hide-and-seek, and hides her in a box. After a while of playing pirate on his own, he goes looking for her, but can't find her where he left her. He discovers he doesn't enjoy playing on his own as much. Eventually he finds Penny and he apologizes, and they both play pirate together. This a great book that depicts the eternal "battle" between older and younger siblings (I remember those squabbles well) regarding playtime. The illustrations are sweet and colorful and realistically portray the emotions of Benny as he goes from an annoyed older brother to a loving and sharing brother. This is another great choice for beginning readers as the text is simple and repetitive. Look for the second book in this series, Benny and Penny: The Big No-No, currently in processing at our library!