There is no better gift than a book. But I’m biased. I grew up with books from floor to ceiling in almost every room and I live that way now. I also remember and still have my favorite kids’ books. “My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World” tells the tale of a little girl in search of a very plain Russian peasant woman, who to her is the most beautiful woman in the world. “Let’s Go to a Clothing Factory” mirrored my experiences as a kid visiting my dad at the factory where he worked.
In my quest for holiday picks, I looked for books that I thought would appeal to kids from all different backgrounds — unfortunately, still a challenge in the 21st century. In the process, I rediscovered the wonder of children’s books. And for that, I am thankful.
The best of the season
“The Red Book” by Barbara Lehman (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004, $12.95) is a joy to behold. At first glance, the 8 ½-by-8 ¼ book is deceptive. The simple red cover looks like another cheap trick to lure in holiday shoppers. There’s no title on the cover but in the lower, right-hand corner, there’s a little girl holding a little red book. The surprise is what’s inside. No words. Just pictures. But wow what a story do these colorful illustrations tell.
The author uses the little red book to transport the reader from one scene to the next. Using zoom-in and zoom-out techniques (commonly used with map Web sites), the author is able to intertwine the lives of a city girl — who found the little red book in a snowdrift-with an island boy, who can see the city girl in the little red book. The publisher recommends this book for anyone ages 4-8. I’d recommend it for anyone on your list who can see.
A two-inch pygmy shrew appears on the cover page. The nose of a saltwater crocodile takes up three pages. My favorites are the profile of the Alaskan brown bear and the foot of the African elephant. The bear weighs a mere 1,700 pounds compared to the elephant who weighs as much as 14,000. The last four pages of the book contain brief bios of the animals featured in the book. Remember that shrew — well, it will eat almost anything it can catch and the crocodile lives as far as 600 miles from land.
America the beautiful
A much-needed tome in a time of red and blue states is“The Train of States”by Peter Sis (Greenwillow Books, 2004,$17.99). Sis transforms each state into an individual car on a train, modeled after intricate circus wagons, now only seen in museums or county fairs.
Each page celebrates a state’s history, icons with elaborate illustrations and at least, one quirky fact. Did you know “The ‘Bone Wars’ — a bitter feud between paleontologists began in New Jersey ten years after the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton was found there in 1858”? Delaware, the first state formed on Dec. 7 1787, heads the train. Washington, D.C., not a state, is the booster with a banner that says “Justice for all.”
Another “new and noteworthy” book that celebrates America is “Walt Whitman, Words for America” by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Brian Selznick (Scholastic, 2004, $16.95.) The biography of the great American poet not only shows Whitman’s affection for the written word but also his involvement in the Civil War, when there really were red and blue states.
Well-known writers corner the Christmas market
It’s hard enough for any writer to get a book contract these days. And now celebrities are taking up space on the shelves, especially in the kids’ section. Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, put out a real snoozer this season, called “Little Red.” Madonna’s books come in a three-pack, just for the holidays.
Fortunately, though, a few well-known writers, such as James Patterson or Dean Koontz, have spun some very funny sagas about Santa this season.
James Patterson’s “Santa Kid” illustrated by Michael Garland (Little, Brown and Company, 2004, $18.99) is the old “Grinch Stole Christmas” tale. But instead of a straggly furry creature, Exmas Express steals — actually buys — Christmas and Santa’s kid saves the day. The rest is gravy. (The companion Web site offers little except a commercial for the book.)
Popular suspense writer Dean Koontz winds another tale about Santa in “Robot Santa: The Further Adventures of Santa's Twin,” illustrated by Phil Parks (HarperCollins, 2004, $19.99). The sequel to last year’s hit “Santa’s Twin” takes the wacky adventures of Robot Santa (R.S.) to the next level. This time, Santa’s Twin brother, Bob Claus, is trying to make amends for last year’s disaster when he kidnapped Santa and left gifts of mud pies, cat poop and broccoli.
Christmas 2004 doesn’t turn out much better. To put it mildly, R.S. has some technical difficulties. For starters, R.S. greets the world with expressions like “Cherry Mistmas” and “Yappy Tuleyide.” He also eats plates and takes the living room furniture instead of leaving toys.
The funniest book this season has to be “How Santa Really Works” by Alan Snow (Atheneum, 2004, $15.95), though I’m not quite sure kids will find it as funny as adults. The Christmas Intelligence Agency (CIA) collects data on who’s been naughty or nice. Elves attend the Christmas College for Elves, the C.C.E., where they learn reindeer handling and maintenance, present wrapping and more. Santa’s workshop is divided into departments. There’s a research and development department for toys. The toys, of course, are made in the production department. You get the picture. The illustrations are cluttered and wonderful at the same time.
In search of a multi-cultural holiday book
Unfortunately, Kwanza books are in short supply. What one finds on the shelves is skimpy and has been there quite awhile. My quest for some diversity ended with two books: “O Holy Night Christmas with the Boys Choir of Harlem,” pictures by Faith Ringgold (Amistad Press, 2004, $18.99) and “Federico and the Magi’s Gift: A Latin American Christmas Story” (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2004, $15.95.)
“O Holy Night” is an illustrated version of “Silent Night” and comes with a companion CD by the Boys' Choir of Harlem. Listen to the CD while flipping through the pages of this beautifully illustrated book. Talk about the meaning of Christmas, Kwanza or Chanukah. Prayer for peace.
I was transformed by the language and the illustrations in “Federico and the Magi’s Gift.” Federico, a four-year old boy from a small mountain village, learns he will get regalos (gifts) from the Magi even if he thinks he was a bad boy. The three wise men bring gifts on the twelfth night after Christmas and leave them in the children’s zapatos (shoes.)
My only disappointment is the book ended too soon. I wanted more time with Federico in the lush village. Personally, I’d too would much rather spend the holidays in a warm, tropical village than in the frigid North Pole.
There’s no place like home
Apparently, the author of “Snowman in Paradise” by Michael Roberts (Chronicle Books, 2004, $16.95) shares the same sentiments as me about the cold weather. Roberts sends a New York City snowman to the tropics, protected with an anti-melting spell from a magical bluebird, who is tired of hearing the snowman complain about being left behind in the cold when most city dwellers take a trip to the “islands” for Christmas break.
In the tropics, the now-surfing snowman “partied through June, ate bananas in bunches. He slept until noon and had very late lunches.” But when it came time to come back to the city for the following Christmas, the snowman gets very blue until he realizes that staying in the tropics he might be eaten too.
Back in the city, the snowman sees the city in a different light. He was “charmed to discover cab roofs now had gardens, And drivers had manners.”
O Chanukah, O Chanukah, Come light the Christmas Tree?
Yossel and the residents of Chelm are truly endearing. In “Confused Hanukah: An Original Story of Chelm” by Jon Koons, illustrated by S. D. Schindler (Penguin Group, 2004, $16.99), the faithful citizens of Chelm forget how to celebrate Chanukah when the rabbi leaves town. So they send Yossel out into the big city to find out. Yossel — a good man but a simple man — gets a little confused. Upon his return, he tells the elders the festival of lights won’t be complete without a tree. Naturally the villagers decorate the tree with matzo balls, dreidels and menorahs. Just in the nick of time, the rabbi returns, shouting “oy! oy! oy!” and recounts the real story of Chanukah and how to celebrate the holiday.