Ill. by Wendy Edelson. Shepard Publications, 2010. ISBN
9780938497486
Van Amsterdam the baker was well known for his honesty as well as
for his fine Saint Nicholas cookies, which were made of gingerbread
and iced just as people imagine St Nicholas to look like. When he
made the cookies he weighed his ingredients meticulously and always
gave his customers exactly what they paid for - not more, and not
less. They were very happy and Van Amsterdam was very successful.
But one day a mysterious old woman in a black shawl came into the
shop and demanded that Van Amsterdam give her thirteen biscuits
because that was how many were in a 'baker's dozen'. Van Amsterdam
refused so the old woman left without her cookies but as she left
she told Van Amsterdam 'Fall again, mount again, learn how to count
again.'
From that day, business went downhill and Van Amsterdam was left
almost penniless and with no customers. Then one night he is visited
by St Nicholas in a dream and he learns a lesson about being
generous.
This is a retelling of an old tale that goes back into history with
the first recorded version being noted in 1896. Accompanied by
exquisite illustrations it brings yet another legend associated with
Christmas to life and underscores the need to be unselfish at this
time. It includes a recipe for St Nicholas cookies and a Readers
Theatre script.
Something a little different.
Barbara Braxton
The night Santa got lost: How NORAD Saved Christmas by Michael Keane
Ill. by Michael Garland. Regency Kids, 2015. ISBN 9781621573982
'On a day long ago began NORAD's tradition-
Tracking Santa's red sleigh on his once-a-year mission.
Using radar and satellites - fighter jets too!
Reporting on Santa, wherever he flew'.
But one Christmas Eve a blizzard rolls in and so Santa leaves the
North Pole early much to the dismay of NORAD who weren't prepared
for the unscheduled start. And as the green blip disappears off the
radar screen and there is no sign of Santa or his reindeer, panic
ensues. A four star general and the Commander-in-Chief order the
fighter jets into the air and every last piece of technology the US
Air Force has is set to searching for Santa.
Eventually he is found buried deep in a snow drift but now it is too
late to get all the presents to the children in the traditional way
of reindeer and sleigh, so once again the bigwigs put their heads
together and come up with a most audacious plan that involves NATO
and other US allies, battleships, cruisers, submarines, helicopters,
C-17s, trucks and tanks and every other sort of transport available
to the military. And for those places where 'The children love
Santa, but the leaders say no', there are Special Ops, Navy SEALS
and tough Army Rangers.
Will their mission succeed? Will they get to all the children of the
world in time?
Dedicated to the children whose parents 'allow us to live in a world
where we have the freedom to believe in Santa Claus' this is a very
different story for Christmas, one that acknowledges those who serve
by showing them in a less-than-traditional setting. NORAD (North
American Aerospace Defence Command) is a joint United States and
Canadian military organisation and for over 60 years it has tracked
Santa's flight each December 24. Children can watch where he is by
going to the website or downloading an app so they know when they
have to get into bed after their tour of the local Christmas lights
as more than 1500 people trace his every movement through 47 radar
installations in Northern Canada and Alaska, alerting them to when
Santa actually leaves the North Pole, and satellites at about 22,000
miles above the Earth with infrared sensors, which see the heat
coming off of Rudolph's nose. In addition, there are high-speed digital
SantaCams set up around the world to catch a glimpse of him passing
by the different cities.
Written in the vein of The night before Christmas this is
one that even older children will enjoy. While predominantly
American and with several pages of explanations at the end,
nevertheless it will resonate particularly with children whose
family members are in the services.
A trailer
is available.
Barbara Braxton
The twelve underwater days of Christmas by Kim Michelle Toft
Silkim Books, 2007. ISBN 9780975839041 hbk, ISBN 9780975839034 pbk.
Take the traditional Christmas song, add the most magnificent
creatures of the world's oceans, include important information about
those creatures and immerse the whole in the beautiful painted silk
artworks of Kim Michelle Toft and you have, quite simply, my most
favourite Christmas book ever!
Toft has used the words of 'The twelve days of Christmas' not
only to introduce readers to the dwellers of the deep, but has also
built on the traditional concept of gift-giving at this time to
emphasise what a precious present these creatures are - one that we
may not enjoy for much longer if we don't start to value it now.
'All of the magnificent creatures in this book rely on the ocean for
their survival and many were once found in abundance. This is no
longer true. Modern technology, huge increases in the world's
population and lack of management have resulted in some serious
problems. These problems include over fishing, pollution from poorly
treated sewage, effluents from oil spills, litter and global warming
which is contributing to the destruction of coral reefs all around
the world. It is up to nations, governments and the will of the
people to work together to help conserve these incredible gifts from
nature.'
Thus, as well as being a stunning visual feast, there is a serious
message that can be emphasised, enabling this book to sit well
within any sustainability curriculum. Even though students might not
be able to replicate the artworks which are hand drawn with gold
gutta on white silk then painted with brushes using silk dyes, the
concept itself might inspire a class project of those things in the
local region that might disappear if no action to preserve them is
taken.
At the end of the book is an amazing poster containing all the
creatures mentioned, and some versions have a CD
of Toft's lyrics sung by Lisa Hunt. What a wonderful song to add to
the Christmas repertoire.
Toft always writes and illustrates about her passion - the
preservation of ocean life - and you can see all her publications online.
She is one who must have a place on your library's shelves - school
or home.
Barbara Braxton
The legend of the Christmas cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall
Ill. by Richard Cowdrey. ZonderKidz, 2015. ISBN 9780310747673
It is the Great Depression and Jack is missing his father who has
gone West to work, desperately - even more so now that he knows he
won't be home for Christmas. As he walks into the kitchen on
Christmas Eve, he smells sweet bread and licorice but there haven't
been cookies in the cookie jar for over a year. But tonight his
mother has decided to make traditional Christmas cookies for the
needy at church, although Jack would rather have them for himself.
The wooden cookie boards with their Nativity moulds are brought out
and as she bakes, his mother tells him the story of Christ's birth
through the shapes, just as was done in medieval times when people
were too poor to go to school to read.
Next day, they take the cookies to church, but to Jack's delight his
mother has saved him the angel one that he liked so much. But just
as he is about to take a bit, there is a knock on the door...
In the Scwaben region of Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland
these cookie moulds - or springerle moulds - were used to press into
biscuit dough and this story is built on that. While not necessarily
a regular custom in Australian homes, it is common in the US and it
is yet another tale associated with the traditions of Christmas that
is worth exploring and discussing the virtue of selflessness and
giving rather than receiving. It does have a strong Christian bent
although the message of helping others in need is universal
regardless of beliefs. The back flap includes a recipe for Christmas
cookies and while the wooden moulds may be hard to obtain, there are
enough Christmas shapes available to start a new family tradition.
A trailer
is available.
Barbara Braxton
Christmas in the barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Ill. by Anna Dewdney. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780062379863
First published in 1952, but reprinted with new full-colour
illustrations, Christmas in the Barn is a retelling of the Nativity
from the perspective of the barn animals. As dusk comes and night
settles, and the animals take up their usual places and positions
two people come into the barn and before long, without fuss or fear,
Mary gives birth. The star shines, the shepherds and the Wise Men
arrive and the baby is laid in a manger, no crib for a bed.
Told in rhyme this is a charming retelling of the traditional story
that underpins the celebration of Christmas that is quite secular in
its interpretation, making it perfect for sharing and explaining
what is behind the images and imagery that is common at this time.
While some schools and communities have bowed to political
correctness and taken the story of the Nativity out of the
curriculum, I believe that given the widespread celebration of
Christmas in Australia, all children should know its origins so they
can understand the importance placed on it, just as they should know
the stories and understandings behind the commemorations and
celebrations of other religions. Because this version makes no
reference to God - indeed neither the people nor the baby are even
named because the emphasis is on the warmth, safety and harmony of
everyone and everything in the barn - it is perfect for introducing
very young children or those unfamiliar with Christmas to the basis
of the beliefs of those who celebrate.
Barbara Braxton
Penguin's Christmas wish by Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408882566
Pumpkin really wanted a Christmas tree this Christmas but there are
no trees on the ice where penguins live. But Penguin had an idea and
after loading up the sled and going on a long journey with little
brother Pumpkin, his friend Bootsy and Grandpa, they found
themselves in the middle of a forest where Pinecone had grown into a
magnificent tree. The penguins decorated Pinecone with all the
trimmings they had brought on the sled and it was so beautiful that
Penguin wanted to share it with everyone.
That night a storm blew up and a blizzard shrouded the tree and the
landscape. In the morning there was nothing to be seen. Penguin is
very sad but Grandpa tells him Christmas is about love not presents
and decorations. So Penguin goes off into the snow and shares what
he has learned. And when the snow begins to melt, he finds that
wishes do come true.
The sixth in this series about Penguin, this is a charming story for
young readers about family and friendship and sharing and finding
magic in unexpected places. The simple shapes, bold colours, and
thick, black outlines that are distinctive of Yoon's illustrations
will appeal to young readers in their simplicity, and while the
penguins all look the same she has given each a distinctive feature
so littlies can distinguish them and know who's who. And Penguin's
ingenious Christmas presents will help them understand that gifts
don't have to come in rich wrapping and cost a lot of money. Perhaps
they will use their imaginations and give those they love some
really personal, unique gifts too.
Barbara Braxton
Five little elves by Dan Yaccarino
HarperFestival, 2016. ISBN 9780062253385 Five little elves sitting on a sled,
The first one said, "Where's the man in red?"
With the concept of Elf on a Shelf gaining such ground in the homes
of those with little people - the perfect spy for Santa - this
timely release of this traditional rhyme in board book format is a
perfect addition to the Christmas stocking of the very young. With
its rhyme and rhythm and bold, bright illustrations it is definitely
one for sharing over and over, helping even the tiniest ones start
to learn the nuances of our language and the joy of story. At the
same time, being a board book, it is sturdy enough to be placed in
those tiny hands and survive the explorations that they and teeth
will make.
Board books are an ideal way to introduce children to the love of
reading as having heard the story in a safe, loving relationship,
their format allows them to be handled and sucked and chewed as the
little one begins to exercise their own power over the story. Even
though they might not yet be able to read the words for themselves,
may even be too young to join familiar rhymes and stories, being
able to handle and manipulate the book itself is a huge step in that
early reading journey.
Barbara Braxton
Cobweb Christmas: the tradition of tinsel by Shirley Climo
Ill. by Jane Manning. Harper Collins, 2001. ISBN 9780060290337
Tante is so little she has to stand on a stool to climb into bed and
so old she can't count all the Christmases she has seen. She lived
at the edge of a pine forest in Germany in a tiny cottage with her
canary, her cat and her dog. Beside the cottage was a barn with a
donkey, a goat, a rooster and a hen - so she had all she needed.
Usually Tante wasn't too fussed about having a spic and span house
but at Christmas time when the days were short and the nights long,
she cleaned her house from top to bottom and corner to corner
sweeping even the tiniest cobwebs and their inhabitants from the
rafters. She would chop down the best Christmas tree she could find
and decorated it with sugar cookies and gingerbread and put special
presents under it for her animals. She invited the village children
in to see her tree and share its goodies - there was something for
everyone including her animals, except the spiders who had all been
swept out the door.
But still Tante wasn't really happy - all her life she had heard
about the marvellous things that happened on Christmas Eve like
animals talking or bees humming carols. So she sat down to wait for
the Christmas magic but soon fell asleep so she never knew whether
it happened or not. She certainly did not hear tiny little voices
begging to be let in out of the cold - but Kriss Kringle did so he
opened the door a crack and in went all the spiders who had been
swept outside.
And the next morning Tante woke to find that Christmas magic had
really happened...
Based on an old European folktale, Shirley Climo and Jane Manning
have brought this story to the 21st century in a superb retelling
with charming illustrations. Tinsel - originally shiny strands of
brass or copper - has been part of traditional Christmas decorations
since the end of the 19th century as people tried to bring light and
sparkle into their homes at a dark time of the year in the northern
hemisphere. Anyone who has seen a cobweb dipped in dew in the early
morning and gleaming as the sun catches it can easily make the
connection between the spiders' work and the sparkly loops of foil
we use today.
This is a story worth tracking down to add to your Christmas
collection - well-written and adding just a bit more to the story of
this special time, it will be one to read every Christmas Countdown.
Barbara Braxton
Christmas songbook by Sam Taplin
Ill. by Richard Johnson. Usborne, 2016. ISBN 9781474921244
In certain countries and to certain generations, the images of carol
singers going door to door at this time of the year sharing their
music is not far from the mind. More recently, the school-based
Carols by Candlelight was always a sign that the festive season was
here as neighbourhoods joined together to herald this fun time in
song, sentiment and a sausage sizzle. Classes practised those
traditional songs in preparation for the annual Christmas concert
and there were few who did not know all the verses of 'Away in a
manger' and 'Silent night'.
So to find a new illustrated volume of these well-known tunes
arranged for voice, piano and guitar is a delight as yet a new
Christmas season is here and another generation needs to know the
music that binds this time. Some are very familiar, others not so,
but each is presented on a clear double page spread with all the
verses and music as well as an illustration that makes this more
than just a book of sheet music. Even the extra original verses of
'Jingle bells' - nothing to do with Batman or even a rusty Holden
ute - are there right alongside 'I saw three ships', the first song
my sea-loving grandfather ever taught me!
Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music
Bowl remains one of the most watched television broadcasts on
Christmas Eve - how wonderful if our children could fully
participate because the tunes are familiar and the words are known!
A perfect addition to both your private and professional collection.
Barbara Braxton
All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey
Ill. by Colleen Madden. Doubleday, 2015. ISBN 9780399551390
It is more than 20 years since Mariah Carey wrote and released the
song in 1994 but it wasn't until December 2015 that the song peaked
at 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it its highest peak since its
original release. Now it is one of the most iconic tunes of the
season.
So it seems fitting that it become a picture book with bright bold
pictures, all the lyrics and a special twist at the end that makes
it particularly suitable for young readers although the clues are
there in the pictures from the beginning. The little girl's wish is
clear for the astute to find because she manages to drop her hint
into every part of the Christmas preparations. Making cookies and
decorations, hanging stockings, even out playing in the snow she
clings to her dream. Then, amidst all the presents for all the
family, there is one special gift... one that so many little ones
wish for!!! This video is an
interpretation that will make this a favourite in your family too -
and you will have an earworm for the rest of the day!
Barbara Braxton
The cat who ate Christmas by Lil Chase and Thomas Docherty
Little Brown Books, 2016. ISBN 9781510200821
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Christmas, Chapter book, Family, humour.
Written for younger readers new to chapter books, the story of
Jingles, the cat and his escapades at Christmas time is highly
entertaining, with every page having a wonderfully Christmassy
illustration to pore over.
On Christmas Eve, Rose attempts to tie a piece of tinsel to Jingle's
tail. This results in the tipping over of the Christmas Tree and
from then on, things happen in the most unexpected ways.
The family wakes the next morning to find that the cat has pulled
apart all the gifts left by Santa, and taken down all the
decorations. But when Mum takes the turkey out of the oven and
leaves it on top of the stove, while they collect Grandma, they
arrive home to find the turkey almost eaten.
It's no wonder the cat cannot be found, but the next day at the
supermarket Jingles is found again, all is forgiven and Christmas is
what it should be, full of fun and family being together.
This lovely story subtly detailing the customs of Christmas, is
wonderfully illustrated, bringing a close family feel to every page.
Each page has between a few lines and a paragraph of two and with
the illustrations makes this a fabulous read for newly competent
readers who can tackle chapter books. The last few pages contain
some truly awful Christmas jokes which will cause huge laughter
amongst the target audience, a recipe and an angel to make.
Fran Knight
Beck by Mal Peet with Meg Rosoff
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406331127
(Age: Adults - senior secondary). Highly recommended. Warning:
Violent sex scene. Reading this novel is like being plunged deep
into a maelstrom. The writers take us back in time to the
devastatingly poor world of the early 1900s. Here a woman and a man
come together briefly, she using her body simply to make enough
money to feed her child and herself, he a lonely sailor in a foreign
port. This is unflinchingly told - as we learn that she is not a
prostitute, but her body was the only means left to enable her
survival.
This is a bald tale, as the writers establish from the start. After
his mothers death and his horrifyingly harsh early years, Beck is
put on a boat that will take him to Canada, for what reason he is
utterly unaware. The Catholic brothers, who take in the orphans, are
apparently generous and kind, feeding and clothing the boys in
readiness for their going out into the world to find work. At this
point it seems to be a world of some degree of decency. However, the
one scene, so vividly described it feels like one is watching it on
stage, and indeed plays back in the mind like one - reverberated in
the days following my reading. The child Beck, with little knowledge
of anything in the world, is treated so horrifyingly that it stayed
vivid, coloured by deep emotions, disgust and anger.
The scene is left as a dread noose that colours Becks life. Yet,
bravely told, this tale, of the potential for immense human cruelty
and indeed of disdain for others, is a new genre of a literary story
that leaps away from the heart-warming story genre into the reality
genre. The writers lift the story up from this point, and draw
vividly, the dark world of early European settlement in the wilds of
Canada, where the struggle to survive is hard enough, while to do
more, to thrive, seems an impossibility, especially for a young
black boy who is utterly alone in the world.
This novel is a tale of a harsh world, offering almost no hope for
the protagonist, but somehow the writers manage to keep us
entranced, desperate as we might be to find a glow of goodness that
is not fake, and indeed keep us reading with hope through to the
end. Our hero's life begins, towards the end, to be turn, and indeed
the end is a balm for the bruised spirit.
I could not recommend it for young readers. It is far too brutal,
too shocking in its revelations of our human capacity for evil, for
young readers. It took me days to stop replaying some of the scenes,
and I ached for days afterwards in thinking about the characters and
the world of this text, its absolutely grueling severity and the
harsh struggle to survive. As I write I notice that Canada and the
northern US states are plunged into another polar vortex, with
temperatures of up to minus 20C. I have been in that part of the
world in minus 45C - in the modern world this is bearable, but back
in the days of this novel, it would have been almost impossible to
survive. It is a book one lives through and it is worthwhile,
perhaps transformative, in the end.
Liz Bondar
Sachiko: A Nagasaki bomb survivor's story by Caren Stelson
Carolrhoda Books, 2016. ISBN 9781467789035
(Aged 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: War; Conflict; Resilience;
Peace; Nagasaki. If war was only about winning and losing, we would
not know this story. Sachiko's story is the story of loss, of
finding a voice in the face of incredible difficulty, of survival
despite the overwhelming weight of the impossible cloud of despair
and it is a story of resilience. Sachiko is one of the few who
survived the Nuclear holocaust that resulted when the nuclear bomb
was dropped on Nagasaki. Why she survived is a mystery considering
how close she was to its epicentre, but the opportunity we have is
to hear her words and wisdom, and to grow in our understanding of
the personal cost at the individual level when war is waged against
nations. Sachiko's tale is a painful yet uplifting story of her
personal growth in the face of adversity, of the consolation and
wisdom she gained from her family and the words of Gandhi, Dr Martin
Luther-King and even of Helen Keller. These influences infiltrated
her own response to the tragedies that did not just touch her, but
swamped her life in ways that defy our ability to understand. It is
our responsibility as we hear her story to consider our own response
to world issues and to ponder how we can protect other children from
the devastation that conflict brings. Sachiko took a long time to
find her voice after the events of 1945 . . . it is a story that is
worth hearing. It is also a testament to those that did not survive.
Caren Stelson has written this book as a narrative non-fiction, with
Sachiko's story told with historical excerpts and analysis scattered
alongside the personal accounts. These non-fiction accounts are
well-referenced, and written with simple clarity to make this
history accessible for a younger reader, as well as interested
adults. Stelson has used transcripts from Sachiko's memories and
added her own research to confirm details of the events of this
time. Sachiko (through Caren Stelson) is an honourable contributor
to the history of World War II and its conclusion, and her accounts
are worthy of our respect. Current younger readers and students
could read this book alongside the well-known story of Sadako
and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. This book
contains excellent photographs including some from Sachiko's own
personal history.
Carolyn Hull
Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406364392
Themes: Wordless Picture Book; Differences. A family of owls (is
that a small 'parliament'?) settles for the day in a tree. Their
rest is interrupted by the arrival of a family of bats. There is
room for them all as one group is up, and the other down, but owl
mother creates some distance by moving her family away from the
intruders. The smallest of each animal species seems to connect to
one another to the distress of the parents. A wild wind disturbs
their rest and both parents realise that they are alike in being
concerned for their family's safety. Over a series of pages, the two
family groups connect again, with the two youngest forging the way
to a nocturnal friendship.
All of this action happens through simple illustrations involving
the wide eyed owls and inverted bats (or are they the right way up,
and the owls are inverted?) As with many wordless picture books,
this book is one where a pre-reader could tell the story to an adult
listener; which makes this a great book to encourage conversation
and observation. (Speech therapists might like to add this book to
their collection.) On a more mature level, this could be used to
begin a discussion about migration and what keeps us apart and draws
us together in human society.
Carolyn Hull
Chronologica compiled by the Whittaker's Almanack Team
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781472932945
(Age: 10+) Recommended, History, Non fiction. Subtitled The
incredible years that defined history, this massive tome is a
fascinating book to dip into and read about an event which readers
may not know a lot about. Beginning with 753 BC, and travelling
through the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431, shipwreck of the
Batavia in 1629, the first hot air balloon in 1783, to the Fall of
the Berlin Wall in 1989, each year covered, and there are a hundred
of them, has several pages devoted to it. The topics covered are as
varied as they are different, as interesting as they are
entertaining, and they all point to the importance of that year.
Each page offers an illustration pertinent to the text, and a page
of text for kids to read, giving a potted overview of the topic.
Each of the one hundred dates chosen represents an incredible year
in world history, be it the Cornish Rebellion of 1497, 1796 and the
first vaccinations, 1895 seeing the first Nobel Peace Prizes being
awarded, or 1846 when the first saxophone is patented. The list of
things recounted is so varied, it is hard to put a finger on why
each is included, or what may follow. But always interesting,
intriguing and informative, this book will be read by those kids who
hang out looking for facts to read and entertain themselves and
others. There was always a bunch of them looking at the almanacks
and Guinness books of Records and so on in my library, and this will
be eagerly included.
Fran Knight
