Well, yes, you may! (The reason there hasn't been any up until now is that a) I had finals (done now!), and b) I'm trying to use up my cached blog posts for A Secret Reason That You Will Find Out About In January, and I didn't have any cached blog posts about Christmas or Advent. Shocking, I know.)
Anyway! I am here today to remedy the lack of Christmas content by talking about a topic dear to my heart--children's Christmas books. And more specifically, children's Christmas picture books. (Because if it doesn't have pictures, where's the fun in that? Unless we're talking about The Book With No Pictures, which is absurdly fun, but not a Christmas book, so we shall skip over that for the day. Suffice it to say: we love The Book With No Pictures.)
As will probably surprise no one, one of my family's most treasured Christmas traditions is our Christmas books. Pulling them out in Advent is much anticipated, and everyone has favorites, and often very strong preferences on which books are read when and so on. (Or at least, that was definitely the case before all the youngers learned to read. Now they usually read them to themselves.) We usually, for the longest time, would acquire new ones every year, and although I don't know that we've gotten new ones for a couple years (my youngest brother being nine, and not typically a picture book reader), I speak at least for myself (and maybe for my siblings) when I say that I still read at least a few of the Christmas picture books every year. And it doesn't feel like Advent without listening to The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey...but more on that in a minute. I think ultimately we probably have at least sixty Christmas picture books, and maybe more than that.
And I'm here today to share my favorites with you. :) There's still time to get them out of the library before Christmas--or during the Christmas Season! (It goes until Epiphany, you know. Or even Candlemas, depending on how dedicated you are.)
To note before I begin: we include books about St. Nicholas and St. Lucy among the 'Christmas books' because their feasts always fall during Advent and are thus 'Christmassy'. :)
Good
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella: A Provencal Carol
by Adrienne Adams
by Adrienne Adams
"Silence all as you come near the stable, lest your voices waken Jesus"This is a very simple Christmas book, merely illustrations for the lyrics of the French carol "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella". However, the illustrations are stunning, and one of my favorite things about it is that the illustrations tell a story that unites the celebration of Christmas in Provence to the birth of Christ...I don't want to spoil it (inasmuch as one can spoil something told in illustrations), but it begins with a mother waking her daughters to dress for the evening, shows a father and son taking care of their sheep, and culminates in a procession of villagers, all in their best clothes making their way up into the hill country.
by Aaron Shepard
illustrated by Wendey Edelson
"All nations say they want peace. Yet after Christmas morning, I wonder if we want it quite enough. Your loving brother, Tom."Our family acquired this book more recently, so I'm not as familiar with it...but in the form of a letter home from a brother to his sister, from the trenches of France to London, it tells the story of the 1914 Christmas Truce during WWI--an astonishing story, and the more beautiful when told in picture book format. It makes its point about peace and Christmas without seeming heavy-handed and ends on a poignant note.
by Julie Stiegemeyer
illustrated by Chris Ellison
"Then Nicholas had an idea."There are three books about St. Nicholas on this list (we take St. Nicholas very seriously around here) and this is the first one I ever remember reading or having read to me. It's perhaps the most immersive of the three books in St. Nicholas's life, with life-like illustrations, and the full (and legendarially correct) version of the story of him giving dowrys to the three sisters in need of them.
by Truman Capote
illustrated by Beth Peck
"'Well,' my friend remarks on our way home, 'there's a lovely man. We'll put an extra cup of raisins in his cake.'"This is voted most likely of any of the books on this section of the list to make me cry...or get me close. (Although for whatever reason this year Christmas books have been making me tear up consistently, and I really don't get it.) In any case, this book tells the story of a young boy's friendship with an old woman, and their annual quest to bake fruitcakes for Christmas, beginning with the familiar cry "it's fruitcake weather!" through their quest for nuts, for moonshine, for fruits, and so on. It's delightful and whimsical but also sad--both of them live with relatives who don't understand them--and ends on a bittersweet note that is realistic (it's based on a true story) but not my favorite way for a Christmas book to end.
by Katherine Bolger Hyde
illustrated by Daria Fisher
"But when the soldiers tried to take her away to torture her, the Holy Spirit made her so heavy she could not be moved."I enjoy this picture book because it both tells the story of a Swedish family's celebration of St. Lucy's Day (fascinating! with the Lucia Bride, and the Lucekatter, and of course coffee) and the story of St. Lucy, both the historic story of the martyr, and the legend of the Saint of Light, the origin story of why she's celebrated so happily in Sweden...a perfect book to read on St. Lucy's feast day.
by Jean Rogers
illustrated by Rie Munoz
"For many months the church had been dark and silent, awaiting the arrival of the new father to light the candles and celebrate Christmas."I will say I don't super love the style of illustration on this one...although it does fit the story, I will say. But I do love the story--a tiny island in the Artic region has been awaiting a priest for months, and if they can't get him off the ship, they won't have a 'father' for Christmas. But the storm is picking up...Part of why I think this one touches me so much is that we have priest friends who have actually done similar missions to the priest in the story--gone to extremely remote areas of Alaska to say Christmas (or Easter) Mass there. It's a trek, but one they love making. The books is also a very community-filled story, and that's another reason why I love it.
by Loren Lang
"The little drummer boy's heart felt warm."This book is one of many of my siblings' Very Favorites. It's about a little drummer boy who is given to a little boy, but a la Edward Tulane is misplaced and goes on a fantastic journey, throughout which he plays his drum, until he returns to the place he belongs--the manger scene. (The illustrations on this one complement the sparse words beautifully, and add another layer of meaning to some of the scenes.)
by St. Jean de Brebeuf
translated by Jesse Edgar Middleton
illustrated by Ian Wallace
"Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled, that mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead."St. Jean de Brebeuf wrote a carol in the Huron language when he was on mission to the Native Americans, and this book takes that carol (translated into English) and adds illustrations. I love the carol--we sang it in choir, and I had a solo, so it's an overwhelmingly good memory--and the illustrations elevate it to a new level, with the use of Native American and nature imagery around the birth of Christ. (Even if you don't get the book out of the library, I highly recommend looking up the carol.)
Better
The Legend of St. Nicholas
by Demi
by Demi
"Nicholas raised the boys' bodies from the brine and restored them to life."Demi always writes wonderfully illustrated and told books about saints and other aspects of Catholic life, and this one is no different. He weaves together a number of legends (and historical facts) from Nicholas's life (my favorite being the part where he raises three boys from the dead who had been pickled to eat during a famine...slightly gruesome, I know) and illustrates them with marvelous gold-outlined illustrations. If you want both historical accuracy and breadth, this is the St. Nicholas book for you.
by William H. Hooks
illustrated by Richard A. Williams
"A blush of the palest pink infused the pure white flower."This is a sweet one--about a girl who is much younger than her three older brothers, shepherds, who all go to see the baby Jesus and leave her behind. One of my favorite things about this story is the depiction of siblings, both in the illustrations and in the text...Dorothy's relationship with her older brothers is just the best.
by Dandi Daley Mackall
illustrated by Guy Porfinio
"Nicholas could barely hold in his excitement."This book about St. Nicholas weaves together an "outer narrative" about a boy named Nick with an "inner narrative" about St. Nicholas, and while it doesn't exactly follow the outline of the legends (and may have been written by a Protestant, because there's no mention of any Catholic things to the best of my knowledge), I like it a lot for two reasons: the illustrations are beautiful, soft, and luminous, and also it depicts St. Nicholas as a boy. Which is accurate--he was the youngest person up until that time to be elected bishop, when he was elected, and would probably still have been young when he was throwing dowries through windows. (I mean, isn't that just the kind of mischievous thing you could see a teenage boy doing?)
by Tomie DePaola
"In a little village high in the mountains above Santa Fe, preparations for Las Posadas had been going on for weeks."Tomie DePaola is the bomb, and I am not taking feedback on that statement at this time. And The Night of Las Posadas is definitely my favorite of his Christmas legends (although there are others, and they're all worth reading). It's the story of Lupe and Roberto, a young couple chosen to play Mary and Joseph in the Las Posadas tradition of New Mexico (and probably other places, but I don't know them off the top of my head), and it manages both to portray said tradition beautifully, and to tell a wonderful story about that specific night of Las Posadas.
by Jane Monroe Donovan
"As the old man worked, he began to daydream of the Christmases that had come before."THERE'S A HORSE IN IT, OK? Okay, okay, that's not the only reason I love this book...it has beautiful illustrations (I know I've said that a million times, but it's been true every time), which are, I think, watercolor and super realistic, and is one of those poignant books about Christmas when one is old and grieving...but told for children. And I love it.
by Rev. Gennaro L. Gentile
illustrated by Vernon McKissack
"A friend gives you the power to become the best person you can be."Oscar, the mouse, gets frustrated with his father and runs away, because he can't have more straw for his bed. He winds up in a stable, where he meets several animals, none of whom really want to be his friend--and some of whom attach weird strings to the idea of friendship. He's lonely and confused when a lovely lady enters the stable and teaches him about true friendship and how to be a true friend. I love that this book is set at the birth of Christ but doesn't necessarily focus on the typical 'Christmas themes'--rather, focusing on friendship, and how friends are not friends if they want you to be important, or if they only want to be friends "next Tuesday afternoon", and so on.
by Geraldine McCaughrean
illustrated by Fabian Negrin
"After the star had set, after the angels had roosted, after the shepherds had hurried back to their sheep, there was one person still awake in the dark stable."This book is a poem of sorts about and in the persona of St. Joseph, pondering what it means to be the foster father of the Word Made Flesh--pondering the Incarnation and his role in it. The illustrations are nice, but not my favorite part of the book--my favorite part is simply the meditation. "What lullabies should I sing to someone who taught the angels to dance and peppered the sky with songbirds?" says one of the pages. It helps to bring home the reality of God made Man.
by Pam Munoz Ryan
illustrated by Dennis Nolan
"There was no snow on Christmas Eve, or snowflakes in a flurry dance."This is a simple book, with few words, depicting what Christmas would actually have looked like--what December 25th looks like in the Middle East, with "desert zephyrs", and so on. But subtly, it also tells the tale of the shepherds and the wise men and the birth of Christ, and wins the award for "best illustration of Jesus as an actual newborn looking like an actual newborn" as well as perhaps one of my favorite illustrations of Mary, looking both like a mother and extraordinarily young.
Best
by Heather Forest
illustrated by Susan Gaber
"'A dozen means thirteen,' she insisted, 'and you're a greedy man!'"This is most certainly one of my family's favorite Christmas/St. Nicholas day books...a story explaining why a baker's dozen has come to mean thirteen. It's the story of Van Amsterdam the baker, who makes a St. Nicholas cookie that becomes popular, and then is carried away by his own success to greed, and a lesson taught him by a mysterious old woman.
by Frederick H. Thury
illustrated by Vlasta van Kampen
"My joins. My gout. My sciatica."The amount of gleeful quoting of Hoshmakaka, the camel in this story, and the originator of the above quote, that goes on in our household is quite ridiculous. This book tells the story of a crotchety proud old camel who the wise men choose to carry gifts to the baby Jesus. And despite his joints, gout, and sciatica, Hoshmakaka accepts, because he is clearly the most special camel, and most worthy of taking gifts to the newborn king...
by Madeleine L'Engle
illustrated by Jill Weber
"December is probably my favorite month."Yes, the fact that my favorite American author wrote a Christmas book means that said Christmas book is definitely in the 'Best' list. But while said book is a prequel to the "Meet the Austens" series (and narrated by Vicky Austen) it's also a children's book, a crossover between a chapter book and a picture book, with cute little vignette watercolor illustrations. I love spending more time with Vicky and John and Suzy as kids, and especially when I was younger, I loved hearing about the things they did every day leading up to Christmas...and Vicky balancing the Shu to Sub encyclopedia on her head. :) (All of that being said...because it's a L'Engle story, it also has beautiful undertones that fit with the Christmas-ness of it.)
by Barbara Helen Berger
"As they walked on and on through the stormy night, the donkey began to dream."This is the first Christmas children's book I ever remember having read to me or seeing the illustrations of, and while the title of "favorite Christmas book" belongs to another book on this list, this book is certainly the most nostalgic of all of our Christmas books. It takes the point of view of the donkey ridden by Mary, and how the donkey, as it plods on towards Bethlehem, begins to dream. "The donkey dreamed it was carrying a ship..." The prose is simple but beautiful, and the pictures are soft and dreamy.
by Gloria Houston
illustrated by Barbara Cooney
"'We shall have a balsam Christmas tree, my pretty young'n' said Papa."There are so many things to love about this book, from Barbara Cooney's beautiful illustrations (I think they're in colored pencil? I love them), to the fact that the book is set in the Appalachians, to the main character's parents: her Papa, who has her help him find the perfect Christmas tree but then has to go to war, and her Mama, who will happily trek across the mountains in the middle of the night and give up something she holds dear in order for her daughter to have a good Christmas. Oh, and the fact that it's a true story! It has what seems like the perfect balance--humor with bittersweetness with joy and sorrow.
by Susan K. Leigh
illustrated by David Gordon
"Now Matthew was a kind man and a merry one."From all of my siblings, this book earned the phrase "that needs to go on the Best list". It's one of the ones we've had the longest, and one of all of our favorites. It follows the story of Matthew, who finds this little town that has become dour and grim and forgotten about Christmas. He helps them to remember how to love one another, and then carves a beautiful set of life-sized Christmas figures, with the help of all the people of the town, and...well, I'm not going to spoil the ending, but believe me, it's a good one.
by Rumer Godden
illustrated by Barbara Cooney
"This is a story about wishing. It is also about a doll and a little girl."Rumer Godden, who you may remember from me nattering on about her work here last year around this time, found time somehow, in the midst of writing copious amounts of books, to write a Christmas children's book. It's a long one--more the length of a short chapter book than an illustrated book, though it is copiously illustrated--but it's so worth it. Written with all of her usual whimsy, it tells the story of a little girl and a little doll, neither of whom seem to be wanted around Christmas.
by Tomie DePaola
"It is the Plaza...Eloise is alive and well."I have already stated that Tomie DePaola is the bomb, and this is for sure my favorite of his Christmas books--possibly my second-favorite Christmas book ever, if you'll believe that. (It vies for that spot with The Donkey's Dream, but the two are so different I can't choose.) It's a collection of stories of different Christmases throughout his life, all entirely different, and each entirely compelling. From his childhood Christmases spent 'crooking' candy-canes to his adult Christmases in New York, Santa Fe, a Benedictine convent, and so on, all of the stories are funny, and many of them have an element of 'touching-ness' as well. It's rather longer than any of the other books on this list, but it's children's-book sized and full of illustrations, so I think it counts. :)
by Susan Wojciechowski
illustrated by P. J. Lynch
"The village children called him Mr. Gloomy. But in fact his name was Toomey, Mr. Jonathan Toomey."And here we have finally come to what my family all agrees is the best Christmas book ever. We have read or listened to this book so many times over the years around Christmas that at least I and my youngest brother can almost recite it (and it's a long book, so that's saying something). The illustrations are gorgeous paintings--possibly oil paintings, but I'm not sure--and perfect for the story. And the story itself...well, I really, really don't want to spoil it for you at all, but let's just say that it follows Mr. Jonathan Toomey (whose backstory is beautifully sad and nearly made me cry the last time we listened to it, which was *ahem* last week) through the events of an eventful Advent and Christmas--a time that he would normally label as "pish posh". I just wrote an entire paragraph without doing it justice, but there you are. Instead of continuing and trying to do it justice, how about you listen to the audiobook with this video which also shows the illustrations? (And then let me know what you think.)
And with that...I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! :)
My favorite is The Donkey's Dream!
ReplyDeleteI love that one! <3
DeleteWhat a wonderful list! Holly and Ivy is the only one here that I own, but I read a few of the others to my kids when they were younger.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you, Rachel! Holly and Ivy is such a good one--well worth owning, for sure. :)
DeleteI was going through saying 'hmm, looks nice, looks cute, don't know that one...' when I saw The Legend of The Christmas Rose and got Very Excited, because I really liked that one as a child - my mom bought a copy just for me, in fact :)
ReplyDeleteI love The Donkey's Dream, too! Isn't it beautiful?
Oh, that's so cool, Lizzie! It's always fun to have copies of favorite picture books, even as an adult. :D Legend of the Christmas Rose is actually one that's newer to our family, so it's cool that you've known about it for a while!
DeleteIt is SUCH a beautiful book, both in the illustrations and the text. <3