happy holidaze
Hiya friends!!
Were October and November a blurrrrrrrr for anyone else? We still haven’t put all our Halloween stuff away! We have busted out our holiday stuff, however, which makes for fun mash-ups like skeleton santas and haunted house snowglobes and peppermint bark with fondant ghosts (also worth noting the party supplies still floating around from Rose’s mer-cat birthday party a few weeks ago. it’s a real lol situation you guys. time to purge). All that to say I am very much looking forward to winter and its slower pace!
Before I go into full hibernation mode, some news: I updated the Storytime Book Club Bookshop page with a *bunch* of new lists! Including Holiday/Winter. As promised I made two new lists — Best Read-Alouds and Best Gift Books — but both have disclaimers. To be included on Best Read-Alouds, a book has to pass the Second Grade Lord of the Flies test — i.e. will it engage a classroom of unruly eight year olds long enough for them to not turn on you? (I joke, but from experience — you do not want a classroom of unruly eight year olds turning on you). It’s a long list, so worth noting our tried-and-true favorites, all of which are total crowd-pleasers: The Serious Goose by Jimmy Kimmel, The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak, and Stuck by Oliver Jeffers (On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex is similar and also great). For classics we love Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner and P.D. Eastman, It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler and Roger Bollen, Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina, Fortunately by Remy Charlip, Roar and More by Karla Kuskin, and Up in the Tree by Margaret Atwood (did you know Margaret Atwood wrote a picture book? She also illustrated it (and did the hand-lettering too!)).
I have to admit Best Gift Books is only partially complete, mostly because there are so many to include (so many types of different gift recipients/occasions to consider, too!), and not enough hours. Recent favorites include I Wonder by Kari Anne Holt and Kenard Pak, Tomorrow Most Likely by Dave Eggers and Lane Smith, and Just In Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano and Christian Robinson. For classics we love Giant John by Arnold Lobel, We Were Tired of Living in a House by Liesel Moak Skorpen and Doris Burn, and any of the collaborations between Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak (particularly I’ll Be You and You Be Me, A Hole is To Dig, and Open House for Butterflies, my very favorite). Also the entire Chirri and Chirra series is so dreamy and imaginative (with the next book out late December!)
You’ll probably also notice Sweater Weather (mostly cozy, a little macabre) and Books from Favorite Authors, which is another work in progress (next up are Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, and Jan Brett!) Let me know who else I’ve forgotten.
Finally a note on content bundles! Since all book lists can now be found on my site and Bookshop, there’s a new section dedicated to the seasonal/holiday coloring and activity pages from the last few years (including last year’s printable valentines!). These will stay up year-round, remain free, and remain password-protected as a thank you for email subscribers (y’all are the best! the new passcode is 2023).
Finally I’ll leave you with this incredible copy of The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa. I posted it this morning to Vintage Library Club, but please enjoy here as well.
Thanks everyone!
Kristen