Book Advent Calendar

I've seen this idea floating around the Pinteresphere, and just knew I had to do this with my kiddos this year.  I loved the few years where we had an advent calendar as a kid.  Usually, it was just one of the simple little cardboard ones with little chocolates inside for each day, but there was something so exciting about opening up that little door to see what tiny treat and picture lay inside.  I've thought about  how to make some kind of advent calendar for my own children, and this one seemed just perfect.

The idea is simple (and only slightly time-consuming, especially if you don't like wrapping presents):  Wrap up 25 books and place them in a pile.  Open up one "present" from the stack each day, and choose a special place to read it together.  They don't need to be new books, although they obviously can be.  I've decided to wrap 25 of our favorite Christmas and winter stories that we already have here in the house, along with a few that we recently got out of the library.  (I'm just making sure that the library books are some of the earlier ones we open.)   I am also including a few books that aren't seasonal in any way that I got at our last library book sale for $.25 a piece.  I figured I'd put a few of these in the pile, too, just to mix it up and so that we have a few new stories to open up and read.  I'm putting our favorite seasonal books towards the beginning of the calendar, and some I can't wrap up at all because my kids already insist on reading them daily.  (I've read the Grinch to my daughter at naptime and bedtime every day for almost a week now!)  There are so many ways this could be done, but since we're getting our tree today, I'm hoping to start our tradition by opening up a new book each night before bed and reading it snuggled up by the tree.  Here is a picture of our finished "calendar", along with some of the titles that we will be opening together over the next 25 days:

The Mitten by Jan Brett
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! by Don and Audrey Wood
Henry and Mudge and the Sparkle Days by Cynthia Rylant
The Night Before Christmas Lift-the-Flap Storybook based on the tale by Clement C. Moore
Spot's First Christmas by Eric Hill
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
The Polar Bear Son by Lydia Dabcovich
Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Merry Christmas, Curious George by H.A. Rey
Toot & Puddle Let It Snow by Hollie Hobbie
Toot & Puddle I'll Be Home for Christmas by Hollie Hobbie
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant
Santa Mouse by Michael Brown
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Day 180: This First Thanksgiving Day

I love to find good seasonal or holiday books throughout the year, and this was a cute little story we found this year among the Thanksgiving titles at our local library.  Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays, second only to Christmas.  I often feel incredibly grateful for many things in my life, but it's always nice to have a special occasion that reminds me to do just that.  It's usually a rather busy weekend spent visiting family here and there, but I love being able to spend time with so many people that I love.  My children are two and and four and a half now, and at their age, let's be honest:  Thanksgiving isn't really all that exciting.  Some day, I know that they, too, will get excited about seeing lots of family, watching football, and eating a delicious meal, but for now they just love having four "daddy days" in a row and getting to see some of their favorite relatives.  Like many parents, I've been looking for ways to help them grow to love the spirit of Thanksgiving and learn how we came to celebrate this holiday.  We've done turkey crafts, talked about different things for which we are thankful every day, and picked out a big turkey to donate to our local food pantry, but I was still looking for a good book about the history of Thanksgiving.  This First Thanksgiving Day does a nice job of introducing little readers to the story behind this special day.  It's a simple counting book that juxtaposes the daily lives of Pilgrim children and their Native American counterparts page by page until the groups are all seated together at the first Thanksgiving meal.  "1 dressed in linen, sitting in a tree, dreaming of the tall, strong ship on which he crossed the sea.  2 dressed in deerskin, gathering nuts below, giggling as they tiptoe by, too shy to say hello."  The illustrations are charming, and my little ones enjoy finding the turkey and rabbit that are hiding on many of the pages.  I also like that the story mentions Squanto and the Wampanoag by name, setting up further learning opportunities about some of our local New England history.  I'd say this book is best suited to children in the 2-6 age range.  It's cute, simple, and does a great job of introducing the story behind this celebrated American holiday.  We'll be sure to look for this one again at our library next November.

I wish you and your families and wonderful Thanksgiving, and no matter where you are, hope that you can be surrounded by those you love today.

Day 131: The Polar Express

Chris Van Allsburg's classic, The Polar Express, is always at the top of my Christmas reading list.  I actually just read it with my son for the first time this year, but I remember reading it with my brothers each year when they were younger.  It is a beautiful story that captures the magic and wonder of Christmas; one that is bound to bring you back to your own childhood every time you read it.  I still remember lying in bed at my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve, knowing that I should fall asleep, but determined to hear Santa's sleigh land on the roof above me.  One year, I was convinced I heard the pitter patter of hooves up there.  I still feel that same sense of wonder each Christmas Eve, even though now I have little ones of my own who can't fall asleep in that same room of my grandmother's farm house.  Van Allsburg's classic tells the story of a young boy who is magically transported to the North Pole one Christmas Eve aboard the Polar Express.  If you're at all familiar with Van Allsburg's work, you know that his illustrations are gorgeous.  In the Polar Express, I love the contrast between the cold, dark images of the winter night and the warmth within the train.  But I also love the timelessness of the story itself.  Upon arriving at the North Pole, our young narrator is chosen by Santa to be the lucky recipient of the first gift of Christmas.  His request?  A silver bell from Santa's sleigh.  Once back on the train, the other children are eager to see the bell, but our poor narrator realizes he has lost it.  All that lies in his robe pocket is a hole.  Christmas morning, however, he opens a tiny box to find the bell, along with a note from "Mr. C" himself.  Overwhelmed with joy, he shakes the bell, which makes the most beautiful sound he and his sister have ever heard.  "Oh, that's too bad," said his mother.  "Yes," said his father, "it's broken."  When he'd shaken the bell, his parents had not heard a sound.   I'll admit that I'm overly sentimental, but the last page sometimes brings a tear to my eye:  "At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them.  Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound.  Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe."  If I were with the narrator, I know I would hear the bell.  I believe.  But I know that someday, my children will question whether Santa is real.  I hope they always believe in the magic and wonder of the season as I do, and that they, too, would hear the bell ringing.  This beautiful book makes a wonderful Christmas gift for children of all ages, and I know it is one we will read and enjoy in my family for years to come.  May your holiday be filled with all the wonder, magic, and love of the season.  

Day 122: Room on the Broom

There have been several times where I have tried to borrow this book from the library, but every time I have tried, it has been out.   I suppose that's always a good sign that a story is worth reading!  We've enjoyed several of Julia Donaldson's other books, but I have to say this one might be our favorite so far.  The first time we read it, my son immediately asked to read it again... and again... and again.  I suppose many people think of Room on the Broom as a Halloween story given the whole witch-and-her-cat-on-a-broom thing, but I think it is great reading for any time of year.  A witch and her cat fly about on her broom, losing her hat, bow, and wand along the way.  Each time the witch drops something, an animal friend finds it and returns it to her, then asks to come along for the ride.  Of course there is always room on the broom for a helpful friend!  When the broom suddenly breaks and the witch is captured by a hungry dragon, the friends come to her rescue once again, this time, together.   The magical ending will leave you and your child smiling with delight and wishing there was room on the broom for you, too!   The story line is as clever as it is fun, with fabulous, easy-flowing rhymes and a great combination of repetitive verses and curious moments of anticipation; perfect for young readers.  And of course, what parent won't love the story's underlying message about the value of friendship, sharing, and cooperation?  Axel Scheffler's bold, colorful illustrations bring the characters to life in a lively, happy fashion, making this book an all-around great read.

Day 121: John Pig's Halloween

Halloween has come and gone, and with all of the festive excitement here in our house, I wasn't able to get this post out in time for the big day.  I know I'm a day late now, but I still thought I'd share what has been our favorite Halloween book of the season.  My friend and co-worker, Julie, recommended this book to me, saying that she and her boys (the eldest of whom is in middle school) still make it a point to read this every year.  That's a ringing endorsement to me, so I just had to check it out.  Not many libraries around here have John Pig's Halloween, but I was able to borrow it through our inter-library loan system.  What a cute, fun, entertaining story!  We just love it!  Little John Pig is too nervous and scared to go out trick or treating with his housemates, so decides to spend the evening alone at home.  He thinks he's in for a long, lonely night... until a witch and her cat crash into his door and show him how to celebrate Halloween in style!  Jan L. Waldron's rhyme and meter make this book wonderfully fun to read aloud, and we are always left wanting to join in the fun (especially the baking part!):  "John and the witch began sifting and stirring.  She cracked the eggs as the blender was whirring.  He scooped out pumpkin and mashed it all up.  She mixed heaps of sugar and cream in a cup.  He rolled out the dough for the tarts and the pies, While the witch made witch cookies with raisins for eyes.  "Now we are cookin'," she said with a grin.  "Open the oven, we've got food to put in."  Soon more trick-or-treaters began to stop by.  They seen the lit pumpkin and smelled the warm pie..."  John Pig's evening grows more festive by the minute, and when his friends finally return home from their own night of fun, they can't believe their eyes!  I love the clever rhymes and the ease with which they flow from one page to the next, and there is some fabulous vocabulary in this book, as well.  How often do we see words like chic, chapeau, boisterous, gussied-up, and wavering all in the same book?  My son loves the illustrations, too, and is always looking for silly details, especially in the characters' costumes.  I have a feeling that he will keep wanting to read this even though Halloween is over, and I've already decided I want to get this story for my kids for Halloween next year... If I can wait that long, that is.  I hope you and your little pumpkins all had a wonderful Halloween!