December 2023 KiddyCAT--Holiday Stories

December KiddyCAT



The theme for our final KiddyCAT challenge of the year features holiday selections. Readers can select books about any holiday, feast day, name day and so on, so this challenge is wide open and flexible! Holidays for this challenge can be for any country, city, town, month, culture, people, or location. Check out your TBR shelves and lists for kids’ books about holidays.

Following are a few titles to start you thinking about your own choices. They are in alpha order by title, but I bet you can guess the holidays yourself!

10 Fat Turkeys—Tony Johnston
An Amish Christmas—Richard Ammon
Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story—Jan Berenstain
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever—Barbara Robinson
Candlelight for Rebecca—Jacqueline Green
Carl’s Christmas—Alexandra Day
Carl’s Masquerade—Alexandra Day
The Carpenter’s Gift—David Rubel
A Charlie Brown Christmas—Charles M. Schulz
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving—Charles M. Schulz
A Child’s Christmas in Wales—Dylan Thomas
Christmas with Anne—L. M. Montgomery
Clifford’s Happy Easter/Halloween/etc—Norman Bridwell
The Easter Egg--Jan Brett
Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit!—Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Halloween Treats—Carolyn Haywood
Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins—Eric Kimmel
The House without a Christmas Tree—Gail Rock
How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Dr. Seuss
I am Thankful—Sheri Wall
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!—Charles M. Schulz
King Cake Baby—Keila V. Dawson
The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming --Lemony Snicket
The Littlest Angel—Charles Tazewell
Mi Familia—Celebrating the Day of the Dead—Camila Hernandez
My Fourth of July—Jerry Spinelli
The Night Before . . .New Year’s, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, etc –Natalie Wing
The Polar Express—Chris Van Allsburg
Pumpkin Eye—Denise Fleming
A Small Miracle— Peter Collington
Twas the Night Before Christmas—Clement C. Moore

It's hard to believe that 2023 is getting wrapped up! For the last KiddyKat I am going to read The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden. I'm sure I read this many, many years ago, but I always enjoy this author.

I have several kid's Christmas stories. I know I will be reading Gus Was A Christmas Ghost and Corduroy's Christmas Surprise.

I'm going to read Green Christmas by Nance Donkin. One of those oldies that I picked up in a charity shop.

I think I will revisit The best Christmas pageant ever...

>2 DeltaQueen50: I love that story! I believe I still have a copy I received in elementary school from the school book orders. Checking it our now.

>5 MissWatson: That story cracks me up! I can envision the TV version of it with Loretta Swit as the mother and a ham wrapped up as the baby Jesus.

I will personally stop by the library and see what they have out for the Holidays!

I'm in the library just about every Tuesday afternoon. I might pick up one or two this afternoon. I can probably return weekly and swap out. I'm thinking they will have a nice display of children's Christmas books. I would be open to a Hanukkah books as well. It will be fun to see what they have out! I'll try to keep the books out only one week so real children can enjoy them! If it's a week where we have a Saturday cross stitch meet-up at the library, I can get two rounds of children's books in a week!

the snow man (wrong touchstone)by Raymond Briggs Delightful story The film is pretty darn good as well

I enjoyed When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke.
I liked that the reindeer had a fondness for marzipan - it’s one of my favourite treats too. Niklas Goodfellow and his Christmas caravan fell to earth in a dreadful storm two weeks before his big day. This dark story finds Goodfellow, the last real Santa, at odds with Gerold Goblynch who favours a commercial Christmas where Santas who don’t agree are turned into chocolate. Warning: although some children relish grisly details, keep in mind that Goblynch sent the deer to a meat-packing plant. A great story without the sugary sentimentality common in Christmas stories.

from a review " Little boy and little girl help an unfortunate Santa who has run into trouble, and as a reward the boy gets out of the tropical Christmas that his parents wanted." oh yeah think I could read that

>11 VivienneR: My girls loved that when they were younger. Especially as our copy had flocked antlers on the reindeer!

And I have finished The best Christmas pageant ever. It's just as enjoyable as last time I read this.

I finished reading The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming by Lemony Snickett which is just as silly as I remembered it. I liked it better this time around. It is sort of a take-off on the story of the runaway pancake or little gingerbread man.

I finished my two chosen books in >3 lowelibrary:. I also read James Patterson's SantaKid

I did not make it to the children's section last week when I went to the library. We were running late, and there were only a few minutes until closing by the time we got out of the meeting room. I'm going to try to leave a few minutes early tomorrow so I can go, but I have identified a bunch of children's Christmas books, including some classics or books with classic illustrators in our university library that I may grab tomorrow to read.

There's No Such Thing as a Chanukah Bush, Sandy Goldstein by Susan Sussman; pictures by Charles Robinson

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Robin, a Jewish girl, sees all her friends celebrating and wishes she could have a tree because they are so beautiful. Her Jewish friend Sandy Goldstein has a Chanukah Bush, but her more devout family won't allow it. She learns that she can share her Jewish holidays with her Christian friends and that they can share theirs with her. Although there are a few black and white drawings, the illustrations are not the focal point of the book. I hope someone else decides to take the story and add some updated color illustrations throughout it to capture the attention of today's readers. It's still a great story!



The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell; illustrated by Katherine Evans

Rating: 3 stars

Review: I first read this book many years ago. I first saw this book performed as a play at another church in my area during childhood. While I like the story, it is not particularly reader-friendly for children. The illustrations in the 1946 edition are a bit dated. I would definitely suggest finding a more up-to-date version, as I know they exist. It would be a good read-aloud book. It's the story of a four and a half-year-old angel who creates quite the stir among the angels. Another angel is sent to earth to fetch a box the boy left under his bed, and the littlest angel is transformed. The Christ child is about to be born in Bethlehem, and all the angels prepare their gifts. What shall the littlest angel give the Christ child?



For Every Child a Star: A Christmas Story by Thomas Yeomans; illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: I love the DePaola's illustrations in this book, but the story deviates too much from the biblical story when a child fetches the old man who has heard shepherds and wise men (who probably didn't come until later) to say his mother is going into labor. Mary was a virgin. She did not have children before the Christ-child was born. In spite of the lovely illustrations, I cannot recommend this book.



Santa's Crash-Bang Christmas by Steven Kroll; illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This imaginative story features a Santa Claus having one of those nights when everything goes wrong. Fortunately one of his elves came along for the ride and helps Santa make things merry and bright for all. DePaola's illustrations accompany the story beautifully. Today's readers will enjoy this one just as much as children did in 1977 when it was written. In fact, I think I'm going to take this one with me to read to my great nephews!



Peter Spier's Christmas by Peter Spier

Rating: 4 stars

Review: I'm surprised the illustrations in this pictureless book have aged as well as they did. The cars are a bit outdated. Most homes today would have a dishwasher full of dishes rather than a sink full. The old Electrolux barrel canister vacuum will be foreign to most youngsters. Still I think it would be fun to take this one to see what story my oldest great nephew tells as he looks at the illustrations.



Miss Flora McFlimsey's Christmas Eve by Mariana

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Abandoned to the attic, a doll named Flora McFlimsey, converses nightly with a mouse who makes rounds around the house below. When she discovers it is Christmas eve, she longs to see the tree. She manages to get herself downstairs where Santa welcomes her because he's one doll short. The other dolls make fun of her, but the mouse along with the tree angel come to the rescue. Will the little girls love her? The illustrations in the 1949 are outdated. The story resonates with me as an older person who loved to play with dolls, but I don't see younger children playing with dolls as much, so I'm not sure how well it will resonate with 21st century readers.



Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story by Cynthia Rylant; illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Young Frankie wants a doctor kit each year as the rich man riding the Christmas train and tossing silver packages to children comes along. Each year he is disappointed to not receive the doctor kit. Instead he receives something he needs plus a toy. The rich man was trying to repay a debt. As an adult, Frank who had moved away returns to repay the debt he feels he owes. The illustrations are gorgeous! The book could be used to discuss all sorts of things such as thankfulness, poverty, giving back to the community, etc.



Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins; illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Baboushka, an old woman, is too busy with her household chores to go with the three kings in search of the child. She regrets and unsuccessfully tries to follow them. She continues to try to find the child each year, leaving gifts for children along her journey. The book won the Caldecott medal when it first came out, and the illustrations are surprisingly still lovely although probably in a different sort of way than they were in 1960. The book could be used to discuss the importance of seeking Christ before it is too late. Baboushka is somewhat like Santa Claus when it comes to leaving gifts for children. This Russian folk tale adaptation holds up well. The book includes the music and lyrics to a folk song about the woman.



The Year without a Santa Claus by Phyllis McGinley; illustrated by Kurt Werth

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Santa announces he's taking a vacation. Children are sad until Ignatius Thistlewhite unites the world's children to allow Santa to take a much-deserved rest. The children begin sending things to Santa, but then he doesn't have room for all the stuff they sent plus the stuff he should have been delivering. What will Santa do? This is a rhyming poem that is illustrated by Kurt Werth.

oh I loved Peter Spiers Christmas! Used it with my preschoolerss for years (which means I wore out a few and had to buy replacements. A lovely look at how a family celebrates all with out words; the pictures tell the story!

i also love his rain about two children who wake up to rain and put on their boots and get their umbrella, and explore how their world looks in the storm. Another wonderful picture book where the kids tell the story

No such thing as a hanukah bush looks like something I would have loved as a child. remember our rabbi reminding us about the jewish holidays and how they include everything that christmas does, except for christ of course;
This is easier to teach in families to celebrate the holidays; but many dont so it does make it hard for kids during this season. Hanukah just doesn't compare

I just realized I failed to post the ones I read the next day. Out of all the books, I chose 4 to take with me to read to my great nephews over Christmas.



The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen; illustrated by Rachel Isadora

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Beautifully illustrated, this book tells the story of an abused and impoverished young girl. She was supposed to sell matches and knew if she returned home, she would be beaten for failing to sell any that day. She chose to stay on the streets that night. She saw visions as she tried to light matches to keep her warm. The book holds a sad ending. The story may not be for everyone, but there are lessons about death which can be taught.



The Christmas Lamb by Anne Baird

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Scruffy the lamb is feeling a little lonely because children prefer reindeer and Santa at Christmas to the sheep at the zoo. He tries to be a reindeer, but that doesn't last long. He borrows a Santa suit, but that turns out disastrous. He curls up outside a church where he becomes part of a nativity scene. This is a cute story with nice illustrations.



Pigs at Christmas by Arlene Dubanevich

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Pigs are just like children in this comic-strip style Christmas story. They write letters to Santa, bake cookies for him, and eagerly (and sleeplessly) await his arrival. While they don't quite get the big ticket items they wanted, they get things they enjoy.



Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This mostly wordless book pictures Carl the dog put in charge of babysitting the baby while the family goes to Grandma's and church. While I don't like the concept of the story, the illustrations and adventures of Carl and the baby are adorable and well-done.



Christmas in the Stable by Astrid Lindgren; pictures by Harald Wiberg

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: A mother tells her daughter the story of Christmas. The daughter pictures it happening right in their own stable. The illustrations remain beautiful although a better paper quality would make them even more vibrant for today's readers.



America's First Christmas by Hertha Pauli; pictures by Fritz Kredel

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Based on Christopher Columbus' journal account, this 1492 Christmas story tells of the Santa Maria's running aground on a coral reef off and island and the sharing of a meal with the Indians. They gifted the Indians with tinkling bells for their assistance with unloading the Santa Maria; the Indians gave them a mask with gold on it and access to a gold supply for the Spanish Queen. The illustrations are probably not colorful enough to attract today's readers although they are well-done.



A Child Is Born: The Christmas Story by Elizabeth Winthrop; illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak

Rating: 3 stars

Review: The text is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, but despite the claim it was "faithfully adapted," it just feels wrong for certain words such as "sore" to qualify "afraid" were omitted. Many words were omitted, and it just feels wrong. While the illustrations are beautiful, the omission of words from this well-known and much-recited passage weakens it.

My read is not a Christmas-type holiday, but a vacation/holiday

Blue Heron / Avi
3.25 stars

(Almost) 13-year old Maggie’s parents are divorced and live across the country from each other. In the summer, right around her birthday, Maggie heads from Seattle, where she lives with her mom, for a holiday with her dad – this year at a lake near Boston. When she arrives, she learns a few things about her dad from her stepmom, Joanna – things that worry them both. Maggie also has a new baby stepsister, and she becomes fascinated with a great blue heron that she sees on the lake most mornings.

This is a good children’s book. I wasn’t thrilled with some of the “crap” Joanna piled onto Maggie. Joanna was nice and was dealing with her own issues, but I was not impressed that she dragged Maggie into some of those things, at only 13 years old. The nature descriptions were very nice.

My granddaughter & l read It’s a Miracle: a Hanukkah Storybook.

I read Christmas in Wellsworth (Thomas the Tank Engine) by Rev. W. Awdry Thomas takes extra care on a foggy, snowy Christmas Eve to get people safely to their destination.

I read Jims brillante Weihnachten in the bookshop at the train station, because it was short enough. Very enjoyable, too.

I read The Carolers by Georgia Guback to my granddaughters a couple times!

I have completed my read of The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden.

I read Der alte Mann und der Bär - Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte by Janosch. While this is a children's story at first glance, it can just as well be read by adults.

reading rampus the yule lord the selection for this months Sci Fi RL BG, and reading for this challenge. Ive heard of the character but never read a story about him. Definitely not for kids, at least the littles but I can see older ones enjoying it, Just started, well see how it goes

reading krampus the yule lord the selection for this months Sci Fi RL BG, and reading for this challenge. Ive heard of the character but never read a story about him. Definitely not for kids, at least the littles but I can see older ones enjoying it, Just started, well see how it goes

finished it;lots of gory details, but an interesting take on Santas 'life' down the ages