17 Nov Book Reviews: Picture books for Christmas
There are oodles of wonderful picture books for kids that are worth keeping. The hardback ones last the longest, so we have a few suggestions as stocking fillers!
Christmas Always Comes
by Jackie French, illus. Bruce Whatley, pub. HarperCollins ChildrensBooks. h/b RRP$24.99 Ages 3+
This heart-warming story follows a family droving the long paddock during a drought at Christmas in 1932. Living in a wagon, they take their cattle from water hole to water hole, with the children hoping for, but not planning, much of a Christmas— until they come upon an old lonely farmer with a beautiful apricot tree.
Bruce Whatley’s illustrations mimic the look of the 1930’s with a simple, subdued colour palette. Only the more colourful apricot tree stands out. Christmas always comes in the end and so does the potential of rain.
Little Bilby’s Aussie Bush Christmas
by Yvonne Mess illus. by Jody Pratt, pub. by Lothian Children’s Books RRP$19.99 Age 0-4+
This lovely rhyming picture book has the Australian Bilby Band hunting for decorations to decorate their Christmas tree. As they dance and sing their way through the Bush, they meet some friendly Aussie animals who donate something special to decorate their Christmas tree.
What do you Celebrate?
by Ashley Barton illus. by Martina Heiduczek, pub. HarperCollins ABC books RRP$19.99 Ages 4+
This interesting book travels around the world looking at the ways different cultures celebrate from Yonatan and his family in Jerusalem, who celebrate the Jewish holiday called the Festival of the Lights; to Arlene, watching the Junkunoo Parade in the Bahamas to Lian celebrating Lunar New Year in China. There are many ways to celebrate, and this book give a joyous insight into some of the more unusual ones.
A Christmas Story
by Louis White, illus. Nadia Vines (self published) RRP$19.80. Available directly from the author www.whitetigermedia.com.au
When did Christmas gift giving start? And who was the inventor of it all?
A Christmas Story tells of a young man named Nicholas who gets lost in a forest and is forced to build shelter to survive. Of how Nicholas befriends some reindeer, builds them a shelter and starts to make presents in order to remember his family. Author Louis White said he wanted to bring a different spin on the story of St Nicholas.
“This book has been written to highlight the story about St Nicholas who was once a young boy and how his generosity continued across his life,” White said. “The book is meant to be a magical story for kids as we prepare for Christmas.”
