Cozy Reads for the Holiday Season
Harold Hates to Hibernate By Vern Kousky
In the sweet and charming follow-up to the beloved picture book Harold Loves His Woolly Hat, little bear Harold is NOT ready to to go to sleep—and, just like kids everywhere, he makes every attempt to stay awake.
Harold loves the springtime flowers. And spending time with friends on summer days. In the fall, he loves the bright, bold colors. But now winter is coming, and Harold will have to go to sleep...only he really doesn't want to.
Harold is determined to stay awake. So, with help from his friends the crows, he tries everything—from filling his belly with delicious berries to wearing cozy pajamas to keep him warm. Finally, snow starts to fall, and Harold finds he needs to rest his eyes, just for a minute. When he finally dozes off, the crows return—with his woolly hat—to snuggle up for some winter rest.
All kids will see themselves reflected in this sweet, cozy read aloud about bears (ahem, kids) who are NOT ready to go to sleep.
The Bakery Dragon By Devin Elle Kurtz
The heroic tale of a tiny dragon with a heart of gold and a taste for treats! A scrumptious picture book for fans of funny fairytales and fantastic beasts.
Ember has always been different from the other dragons. His fearsome roar sounds more like a polite sneeze, and when he breathes fire, the villagers just pat his head and say awwww.
Ember fears he’ll never collect a respectable hoard of gold until a chance encounter with a baker causes his fortunes to turn (and his stomach to grumble). As the little dragon soon discovers, the gold you make is way better than the gold you steal—and gold that is shared? That’s best of all.
Magic shimmers on every page of Devin Elle Kurtz's feel-good picture book that celebrates baked goods, dragons, and generosity in equal measure. Filled with adorable illustrations, this is a perfect read aloud for bedtime or brunchtime!
Tamales For Christmas By Stephen Briseño; illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
Before the first Christmas light is strung, Grandma is hard at work, making thousands of tamales to sell so she can buy gifts for her family! This heartwarming tale, based on a true story, explores a grandmother's boundless generosity, and the irresistible magic of tamales.
When the weather changes, but way before the Christmas tree is decorated, Grandma begins her preparations. With so many children and grandchildren in her family, she finds a way to put gifts under the tree-- she sells as many tamales as she can! Masa in one hand, corn husks in the other, Grandma’s just getting started. 15 dozen tamales. As Halloween passes, and Thanksgiving, Grandma is still toiling away in the kitchen: 150 dozen tamales, 700 dozen tamales, 850 dozen tamales. When it’s time to string the lights for Christmas, she’s inching closer to 1000 dozen tamales! Enough to give some to those in need and enough to sell to earn money for Christmas gifts.
Based on the author’s own grandmother, who was the heart of the familia, here is a warm story about Christmas, generosity, and, yes, tamales.
Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights By Charlotte Offsay; Illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt
A warm and yummy Hanukkah-themed picture book about the joys of coming together to celebrate with family and food.
It's time to start counting sleeps—Hanukkah is coming! Shimmering, shining, sparkling. Eight sweet nights, a festival of lights.
Set in a cozy house full of latkes, applesauce, sufganiyot, and other Hanukkah holiday treats, this warm and emotional story highlights the importance and joy of passing along traditions from one generation to the next, and making new traditions too.
Children can also learn about the meaning of their holiday, with informative side notes on each page to give a brief explanation of words found at Hanukkah, such as Maccabees, hanukkiyah, shamash, and gelt. An afterword from the author provides even more historical background to the holiday, making this a book to take from the shelves year after year.
Christmas Forever By Elysa Dutton; illustrated by Manu Montoya
Who doesn't want Christmas to last forever? Well, the tree ornaments certainly do and they plan on escaping their storage boxes for a year-round Christmas at the North Pole! But a surprise guest disrupts their grand escape, teaching them that perhaps family is the true magic of the holiday.
The spirit of Christmas lasts all year long... unless you are an ornament, stuck in a dusty box in the closet 11 months out of the year! This December 26th, it's gonna be different. The ornaments know of a place where they can be free to sparkle, where life is a 24-hour, 365-day Christmas buffet ...the North Pole! But when the family cat gets involved, their plan hits a snag. And soon the ornaments come to realize that togetherness is the best gift, and it can't be Christmas forever without family.
Dr. Seuss Graphic Novel: The Grinch Takes a Vacation By Kaeti Vandorn
He's a little mean, definitely green, and now Dr. Seuss's beloved and iconic character, The Grinch, is starring in his very own chapter book graphic novel! Everyone's favorite holiday grump is back in a brand-new adventure and he already needs a vacation!
It's vacation time in Whoville but The Grinch doesn't understand...what is a vacation?
Determined to learn what the Whos seem so excited about, The Grinch decides to give a vacation a try! Unfortunately the mountains are too snowy, the beach is too sandy and the theme park is too loud . . . vacations just might not be something that Grinches do? Thankfully, his dog Max isn't letting the Grinch give up that quickly!
Will there be some fun in the sun for everyone's favorite Grinch or is the Whos' favority grumpy neighbor doomed to stay home?
Elmore the Christmas Moose By Dev Petty; illustrated by Mike Boldt
A hilarious and heartwarming Christmas story about a moose who wants to be one of Santa's reindeer. This charming picture book comes from the comic minds of the the duo that brought you I Don't Want to Be a Frog and Don't Eat Bees.
Dear Mr. Claus,
I am writing to apply for the temporary Christmas reindeer position . . .
When Santa places a job listing in the North Pole newspaper for a replacement reindeer, Elmore the moose eagerly applies. Sure, he can't actually, you know . . . fly, but how hard could it be??
In scene after scene of hilariously dedicated trying . . . and failing, Elmore perseveres in his dream to become a part of Santa's trusted team. Young readers will love Elmore's wry, funny letters to Santa as he continues on his quest. And they will shed a happy tear when the perfect opportunity arises for Elmore to shine simply by being himself.
Families at Christmas (and many Christmases to come) will love sharing this heartfelt, hilarious tale about a can-do moose who embodies the true spirit of the holiday.
A Stickler Christmas By Lane Smith
A holiday picture book from award-winning author/illustrator Lane Smith that features the woodland character, Stickler, who wanders the forest delivering Christmas presents. In a picture book that’s both silly and sweet, readers will be inspired by this story of holiday kindness.
Happy-go-lucky Stickler, an original character covered in sticks, is celebrating Christmas by passing out presents for all his friends. He has carefully selected the right stick for each of them, including: a Hop-Higher Stick for Rabbit, an Idea Stick for Crow, an In-a-Pear-Tree Stick for Partridge. But Doug-the-Fir doesn’t want a present, he is too worried about being covered with decorations and lights and being the center of attention. So, Stickler promises to think of a solution and finds the perfect stick. But in order to help his shy friend, Stickler needs to be the one to shine.
A Stickler Christmas encourages empathy and kindness with a joyful, lighthearted touch. Lane Smith, the award-winning author and illustrator of recent picture books, including A Gift for Nana (where Stickler first appears) and Stickler Loves the World, brings imagination and laughter to a clever story featuring a delightful character.
Let's Celebrate Korean New Year! By Michelle W. Park; illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Ring in the Lunar New Year with this sweet picture book by Emmy-winning TV host Michelle W. Park. This heartwarming story follows two sisters as they explore the Korean traditions of Seollal while learning about the importance of family. The author's own dumpling recipe and a fun activity are included at the end!
새해 복 많이 받으세요 Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!
Madeleine and Eloise are getting ready for their family's Lunar New Year party, and there's so much to do before the guests arrive! From putting on colorful outfits called hanboks and making Korean dumplings called mandoo, to setting up yutnori, a traditional board game, Madeleine shows her younger sister how to prepare for the holiday. But when Madeleine forgets to write a poem to share with the family, Eloise offers to help—and the girls realize that although each tradition is special, what matters most is spending the day together.
This festive picture book is a perfect way to learn about Korean New Year traditions, and features a glossary of Korean terms at the back, the author's own mandoo recipe, and a craft activity to create your very own charae-sang tablescape!
Pizza and Taco: Best Christmas Ever! By Stephen Shaskan
Have Pizza and Taco been naughty or nice? These foodie besties are getting ready for the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER in this hilarious graphic novel chapter book!
IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME....in a few months!!! But Pizza and Taco have decided it's never too early to make their Christmas wish lists and check them twice. Now all they need to do is make sure they’re super nice and well-behaved because Santa Slaw is always watching! Taco has no problem helping neighbors and doing his chores...but Pizza, on the other hand...! Will Pizza and Taco get all the presents they ask for?
This hilarious young graphic novel—with chapters—will tickle the funny bones of kids ages 5-8 and bolster their reading confidence. It's the perfect stepping stone for readers who are transitioning to longer chapter books and graphic novels.
Readers will be hungry to collect all eight books in the series! Here are a few titles to look out for:
Who's the Best?
Super-Awesome Comic!
Too Cool for School (A Parents Magazine Best Book!)
Dare to be Scared!
Wrestling Mania!
A Sweet Diwali By Harshita Jerath; illustrated by Geeta Ladi
Join a young girl and her dog in this Step 2 reader as they joyfully prepare to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights! Perfect for readers ages 4-6.
Raina is excited to celebrate Diwali, a Hindu holiday that symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. Along with her family and her best friend, Lion (a little dog with a big sweet tooth!), Raina helps prepare for the celebration. She decorates the house with clay lamps called diyas, makes beautiful rangoli designs with sand, watches colorful fireworks, and shares sweet treats with Lion. It’s a Diwali to remember!
Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.
Everett Green: The Not-So-Christmas Tree By Freddy Wexler; illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume
Celebrate friendship, giving, and the true meaning of Christmas with Everett Green, the palm tree with plenty of personality!
The tiki torch is lit, the hula dancers are ready, the stage is set. It's...Christmastime in Hawaii!
Everett Green is a singing, dancing palm tree waiting for his big break. He dreams of being a star, yet has no idea how to make it happen--until he sees the Rockefeller Tree on TV. Determined to become the most famous Christmas tree ever, Everett is ready to hightail it out of Hawaii and make his big debut in the Big Apple.
But it's not all clear skies for Everett when a New York snowstorm grounds his flight.
Stuck in the airport with hundreds of disgruntled travelers, Everett must dig deep for holiday spirit if he wants to become a real Christmas tree!
From grammy-nominated songwriter Freddy Wexler comes a modern Christmas classic: the story of a would-be Christmas tree who comes to see that Christmas is not what or where you are, but who you're with.
