If I Never Forever Endeavor


Holly Meade - 2011
    What if he tries and the wings don’t work, and he flails, plummets, and looks foolish? Then again, what if his wings take him swooping and gliding, sailing and flying through a great big wonderful world? He’ll never know if he never endeavors. With the help of her bold, beautiful collage artwork, Caldecott Honor-winning artist Holly Meade offers a gentle nudge for hesitant fledglings of all ages and species to step out, to dare, to try . . . and to fly.

The Lump of Coal


Lemony Snicket - 2008
    This is a story about a lump of coal who can think, talk, and move itself around.Is there a more charming holiday tale to behold? Probably, but Lemony Snicket has not written one.

Apple Tree Christmas


Trinka Hakes Noble - 1984
    Moving and nostalgic, and brought to life by glowing watercolor paintings, it reveals the joy of a very special present and the love that a father and daughter share.

Maple & Willow's Christmas Tree


Lori Nichols - 2016
      Maple and Willow love trees—and now they are getting their first real Christmas tree. It is going to be the best Christmas ever! After a snowy expedition to pick out the perfect tree, it’s time to decorate. But whenever Maple gets near the tree, she starts sniffling and sneezing. Could she really be allergic to the perfect Christmas tree? And if so, how will the girls find a way to make this the best Christmas after all?

Auntie Claus


Elise Primavera - 1999
    She lives in penthouse 25C at the Bing Cherry Hotel and is "so "curioso! After all, Auntie Claus serves Christmas cookies all year long and her tree is always the best-decorated in the city. And then there's her annual "business trip," right around the holidays. This year Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of Auntie Claus's mysterious ways. Put on your mittens and bundle up for an adventure beyond your wildest dreams. "Ho, ho, ho!"

The Most Wonderful Doll in the World


Phyllis McGinley - 1950
    The memory of the doll Dulcy lost becomes more wonderful and exaggerated each time she talks about it.

Fox's Garden


Princesse Camcam - 2014
    Chased away by the grown ups, Fox takes shelter in a greenhouse. A little boy sees this from his window. Without hesitating, he brings a basket of food to the greenhouse, where he leaves it for the fox. His gift is noticed and the night becomes a garden of new life, nourished by compassion and kindness.Princesse Camcam's cut-paper illustrations, along with the beautiful lighting of the sets she creates, make the experience of looking at these illustrations both touching and transcendent. Their beauty and essential simplicity reflect the beauty of the story. The reader is left charmed by the fox and the child and thoughtful about the emotional lives of both humans and other creatures.Princesse Camcam was born in Paris in 1982 as Camille Garoche. Having spent her childhood in southwest France, she left to study the graphic arts at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Cergy. She created her first illustrated book in 2006 and has been living in Germany since 2007.

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty


Ree Drummond - 2012
    Even though Charlie may not have put a kitty on his Christmas list, he learns that if you keep an open heart, new friends can come in unexpected packages.Why is there a great big tree in the house?!?And why are all these boxes underneath it?Hey—what is that?!? Where did it come from?Uh-oh. This isn't good. . . . This isn't good at all!

Dream Snow


Eric Carle - 2000
    But when the farmer awakens, he finds that it has really snowed outside, and now he remembers something! Putting on his red suit, he goes outside, puts some gifts under the tree for his animals, and presses a button near a Christmas tree, creating a most surprising musical treat for children everywhere."Few in number are the parents who have made it through their toddler's years on just one copy of Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Dream Snow has similar ingredients: a simple story, lively collage-like illustrations and a fun gimmick for little hands . . ." —Time"This is a simple, well-told story about a simple farmer. . . . Viewers. . . will want to get their hands on it." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Carle fans and toddlers learning the basics will . . . enjoy the gentle text and creative design features." —Booklist"The pictures are in Carle's trademark richly colored and textured collages that capture the snowy magic of Christmas." —Kirkus Reviews

Llama Llama Holiday Drama


Anna Dewdney - 2010
    Jingle music. Lights ablaze.How long till that special date?Llama Llama has to wait.If there's one thing Llama Llama doesn't like, it's waiting. He and Mama Llama rush around, shopping for presents, baking cookies, decorating the tree . . . but how long is it until Christmas? Will it ever come? Finally, Llama Llama just can't wait any more! It takes a cuddle from Mama Llama to remind him that "Gifts are nice, but there's another: The true gift is, we have each other."

The Bears' Picnic


Stan Berenstain - 1966
    Seuss. When the Berenstain Bears set out to find the perfect spot for a picnic, Father Bear says he knows just the place. But each ideal location turns out to be a complete disaster, with a train roaring past or hordes of mosquitoes. At last they find a place with no pesky crowds or noisy planes, and nary a mosquito . . . until it starts to rain. With The Bears' Picnic, literary legends Stan and Jan Berenstain provide a red-and-white-checked tablecloth to enhance a giggle-filled escape.Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

Snow


Cynthia Rylant - 2008
    Cynthia Rylant’s lyrical descriptions of the sights and feelings evoked by falling snow blend gorgeously with the rich and beautiful world created by Lauren Stringer’s illustrations, in which a young girl, her friend, and her grandmother enjoy the many things a snowy day has to offer.

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas


Eric Litwin - 2012
    Spend the holidays with your favorite blue cat! In this rockin' spin on the traditional tale The Night Before Christmas, Pete the Cat proves that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do.

Curious George Takes a Job


H.A. Rey - 1947
    But he' very curious.One day George escapes from the zoo, He rides on top of a bus, he gets busy in a kitchen and takes a job washing windows. Then he sees some men painting ... and of course George is very curious. And that's when the trouble begins!

Children of the Northlights


Ingri d'Aulaire - 1935
    Long out of print, Children of the Northlights introduces readers young and old to siblings Lise and Lasse and to the captivating Sami people and culture of northern Scandinavia. At times mischievous and at others quite courageous, Lisa and Lasse, and their Sami culture, are brought brilliantly to life in the d’Aulaires’ illustrations.This remarkable sister and brother live at the very top of Norway—to Lise and Lasse, seemingly at the very top of the world. All bundled up against the polar winter in their coats of fur and furry shoes, they look at times like two little bears rolling in the snow. Beneath the bright dancing of the northern lights, we follow Lise and Lasse as they enjoy the long winter days and polar nights: playing pranks on their family, chasing and playing with their reindeer Silverside and Snowwhitedeer, skiing, taking hot saunas to stay clean, and staying warm while snowstorms rage across the land. Lise and Lasse hunker down in their warm tent and wait for the sun to return, which, of course, it always does. When the sun comes back in spring, it’s time to go to school in the village (which Lise and Lasse happily do only after instructing their dogs to take very good care of Silverside and Snowwhitedeer while they’re away).Inspired directly by a remarkable journey the d’Aulaires took to northern Europe and their time spent among the Sami, Children of the Northlights is a brightly illustrated portrait and celebration of the Sami people, culture, and snow-covered landscapes of the frozen north, from two of the twentieth century’s greatest storytellers.