In The Garden

above illustration by Aliki Brandenberg

Each day leading up to Christmas, I'm going to feature a Children's book that I've really enjoyed and would make a great choice to share with your family for the holidays. It may be one I've loved for years or one I've just recently found, but all would be great additions to your Christmas story list. Hopefully you'll find something to enjoy!

Jacket description:
"It's Christmas Eve! Two children and their parents gather in the darkened pine-scented room, just as they do each year. There stands the Christmas tree, glowing with candles and laden with ornaments, many of which they have made and are unique.


A surge of memories envelops them at the sight of the tree. The family's voices intertwine us as they share remembrances of a family, friends, places, and events, recounting their own lives through the stories of each decoration."

Who doesn't live Aliki? And who doesn't love reminiscing each year about the different ornaments on your tree? Just a week ago, as I was going through a box of ornaments from my childhood, ones I had not seen for many years, I came across one I made when I was in first grade and I thought to myself "you know you were a child of the 80's when it was perfectly ok to make an ornament in school out of a disposable ashtray." How funny is that?? Gold, cheap metal ashtray, with my picture in the middle. hehe

It's memories like that, that build up Aliki's beautiful family story. Who needs bright and shiny, new ornaments, when the old, beaten, and sometimes ugly ones, have such great stories attached?


I love this as a family read aloud or for a storytime precursor to an ornament craft. Just don't use ashtrays!


Christmas Tree Memories
Aliki
30 pages
Picture Book
HarperCollins
9780060200077
September 1991
Copy borrowed from my local library

To learn more, or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a tiny commission from your purchase (though I believe this one is out of print). Thanks!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I made sure to post all my choices for "love" related books last Saturday, giving you time to find them if you were interested in them, so this week is more random choices from my TBR list.

Quiet in the Garden, written and illustrated by Aliki, is a sweet story about a the great adventures kids can have in their own yards. The child in the story notices birds and insects he had never seen before and feels peaceful looking at the flowers and plants, all while it's nice and quiet outside.

Ohhh Aliki, such a wonderful author you are. I don't think I've ever been disappointed by a book written by her. This would be a great story for family sharing and activity time, as it includes instructions for making your own quiet garden. Get your kids involved in creating a quiet place in the backyard where they can explore their world!

Quiet in the Garden
Aliki
32pages
Picture Book
HarperCollins
9780061552076
February 2009


Nico & Lola is written by Meggan Hill, with photography by Susan M. Graunke. Based upon the theme of kindness, a boy and a dog explore each other, while the boy learns how to be kind.

Nico is super excited when his Aunt drops her cute dog, Lola, off for the weekend. His Aunt makes sure to ask if Nico would be "so kind" to take care of her little girl and though Nico thinks he can do it, he isn't quite sure what it means to be kind.

As he and Lola get to know each other, Lola teaches Nico different ways to be kind. She teaches him that being kind is smiling at a new person (or dog in this case). After running around the yard playing tag, Lola also teaches Nico that being kind includes showing concern for others, after Nico offered her a cold bowl of water.

The lessons go on and on in a simple manner, well integrated into the story. The photographs are not spectacular, but tell the story well enough, plus the dog and the boy are both pretty adorable. As kids and babies tend to enjoy looking at real photographs of other children, this would be a nice selection for home shelves, especially when trying to teach kindness.

Publishing date for Nico & Lola has been pushed back until June from it's original February publishing date, therefore I was not able to link to Amazon on this one. Go to www.nicoandlola.com for info.

Nico & Lola
Meggan Hill
32pages
Picture Book
Genuine Prints LLC
9780615230405
June 2009

Finally, a super giggle inducing choice for the week in Artichoke Boy, written and illustrated by Scott Mickelson. The eye-catching "artichoke green" color on the cover will certainly grab your attention and the obsession this boy and his family have with artichokes.

Told in humorous rhymes, we learn all about the boy that not only eats his artichokes, but wears them ALL over his body. In fact, a lot of this boy's body IS an artichoke, as is his bed, his toothbrush, and his fish!

Lots of laughs about a topic we don't typically see in children's books. I think this would be awesome for a story time read aloud. Pair it with a vegetable craft! Have your kids think of their favorite vegetable and using magazine cutouts or drawings, make themselves in that veggie.

Artichoke Boy
Scott Mickelson
32pages
Picture Book
Boyds Mills Press
9781590786055
February 2009

To learn more or to purchase, click on any of the book covers to link to Amazon.