jan brett christmas books!

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What's your favorite Christmas book?  There are so many out there to choose from, and some are great and some are not so great.  Have you read anything by legendary kid's author, Jan Brett?  Mrs. Brett has got you covered for the holiday season!  

We are big fans of Jan Brett and have featured her stories on the blog before.  They focus on tales from specific countries.  A lot of them have a Scandinavian flair which I enjoy, and I have absolutely fallen in love with her art work.  Each page has super detailed and elaborate drawings to illustrate the story.  Here are the Jan Brett books you need on your bookshelf for Christmas.  

Gingerbread Christmas

By Jan Brett

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Gingerbread Christmas is one of three books featuring the character Gingerbread Baby.  In this book, he goes to a Christmas festival and has a great time until the smell of gingerbread makes all the kids hungry!  recommended age: 3-5

The Wild Christmas Reindeer

By Jan Brett

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The Wild Christmas Reindeer is about a little girl named Teeka who is in charge of getting Santa's reindeer ready for his Christmas eve flight.  It's a hard job, and she gets too bossy with the animals.  She has to learn to be kind to them and earn their trust and cooperation. recommended age: 3-8

Trouble with Trolls

By Jan Brett

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Trouble with Trolls follows a young Scandinavian girl who must journey up and over the mountain that separates her home from the town.  Along the way, some tricky but not too smart trolls try to stop her.  She has to use her cleverness to make it where she wants to go.  recommended age: 3-10

Home for Christmas

By Jan Brett

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Home for Christmas is about a troll boy named Rollo.  When his parents make him do his chores, he decides that he would rather run away than work.  After living with different animals in their wild homes, he decides that his troll home is the best place for him.  recommended age: 3-8

The Animals' Santa

By Jan Brett

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The Animals' Santa is set in a wintry forest where all the forest animals are waiting for the Animals' Santa, a snowy owl who comes and gives each animal a special treat.  recommended age: 3-5

Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?

By Jan Brett

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In Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?, trolls come to Kyri's house every year to steal her family's holiday feast, but this year a mysterious boy and his magical ice bear appear at her door.  Together, they protect the feast from troublesome trolls.  recommended age: 3-10

you tube tuesday! 5 books we read before going to ireland

If you have been reading along this year, you probably know that our family took a little trip across the pond to Ireland.  Before we went, we read lots and lots of kids books about Irish stories.  Here is our experience travelling and some of our faves! 

little cloud by eric carle

My sons love looking up at the clouds and trying to decide what shapes they can see in them.  Once, when I picked him up from school, I asked my third grader what he did at recess that day, and he told me that he sat alone all recess.  I was concerned until he told me the reason - because the clouds were so beautiful that day, and he just had to watch them.  An unusual way to spend recess, but a quite poetic one, nonetheless. 

I wasn't familiar with this sweet little book by Eric Carle until recently, but I'm so glad I found it.  A little cloud drifts alone and has fun changing itself into all different shapes - animals, airplanes, a clown with a fancy hat.  At the end of the story, the little cloud joins its family and brings rain to the town below.  

This has the classic Carle art work and simple yet engaging words.  It's perfect for toddlers and preschoolers! 

Story Time Conversations:

• What are clouds made of?  What do they look like they are made of?
• What was your favorite shape that the cloud made?
• Pretend to be a cloud.  Drift by high in the air.  Now make a thunderstorm and rain! 

story time around the world: england

It's time for story time around the world!  Let's board our private jet and head to jolly old England.  Pip pip and cheerio! 

• This is England by Miroslav Sasek

We have featured this travel series for kids a lot on the blog because the retro graphics with the interesting tidbits about exciting locals will always thrill us!  This one takes readers through some of England's industrious cities as well as some of the most charming countryside anywhere in the world. 

• This is London by Miroslav Sasek

The same great vintage graphics that you would want to put in a frame on your wall but focusing on the busy, bustling city of London.  It has been said that if you tire of London, you tire of life, so this book is definitely a keeper.  

• Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema with pictures by Diane Stanley 

One of England's most fascinating and influential monarchs with beautiful illustrations that bring her world to life for elementary school aged readers.  

• This is London: A Book of Opposites by Ashley Evanson 

We are big fans of Evanson's Hello World board book series!  This one teaches the concept of opposites while providing awesome illustrations of London. 

• Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L. Travers

While the movie and the book versions of Mary are quite different, movie fans will still recognize the magical nanny enough to really enjoy this classic novel and its sequel.  Unlike the movie where Mary only stays for a little while and then must go, in the books, Mary comes back to the Banks household many times.  Also different from the movie - there are five children instead of two, Bert is a matchman instead of a chimney sweep, and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (spell check is hating me right now) is no where to be found.