Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree


Robert E. Barry - 1963
    Christmas is here and Mr. Willowby's tree has arrived. There's just one big problem: The tree is too tall for his parlor. He cuts off the top so it will fit, and soon the top of that tree is passed along again and again to bring holiday cheer to all the animals in the forest.Kids will love watching the tree move from home to home, and families will appreciate the subtle message of conservation and recycling, as the tree top spreads joy to so many of the forest dwellers.This heartwarming story is the perfect way to start your yuletide season, and a warm addition to your family's festive holiday traditions.

One Mitten


Kristine O'Connell George - 2002
    Spare rhyming text and bright, lively illustrations celebrate a small child's joyful discovery of many things she can do, be, and play with a single mitten. And when she finally finds the mitten's missing mate, two mittens open up a whole new realm of possibilities. Once again, the creators of Book! look at the world through a young child's eyes, revealing the fun that's hidden in everyday things.

Snow Globe Wishes


Erin Dealey - 2019
    A little girl makes a wish on a snow globe and, in the morning, the sun rises on a winter wonderland--beckoning all outside. And what if, on this snow-filled day, families shake their busy lives and everyone goes out to play? A lyrical holiday story about wishes and community and snow--lots and lots of snow.

The Reader


Amy Hest - 2012
    He has something important to share with his faithful companion, who bolts ahead to wait at the top of a tall hill. Our small hero climbs higher and higher, until finally, he is there, too. Then he opens his suitcase – click, click – and soon the only sound in the world is the sound of him reading their very favorite book to the very last page…the very last word. Amy Hest’s spare evocative text is a true celebration of new readers and good friends everywhere, while Lauren Castillo’s pen and ink and watercolor illustrations, with their bold saturated colors against winter white, perfectly capture the wonder and delight of this magical day.

The Crippled Lamb


Max Lucado - 1994
    This touching tale helps kids see that even if they're different, God has a unique plan for their lives.

Katy and the Big Snow


Virginia Lee Burton - 1943
    In this enduring winter favorite from the Caldecott Medal winner Burton, Katy the snowplow finally gets her chance to shine when a blizzard blankets the city and everyone is relying on Katy to help dig out. This new paperback is perfect for gift giving. Children love sharing Katy’s shining moment of glory and will inevitably admire her “chug, chug, chug” endurance.

A Tree Is Nice


Janice May Udry - 1956
    She goes on to explain that even one tree is nice, if it is the only one you happen to have.Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child. Whether he knows one tree or many, he will relish the descriptions of the delights to be had in, with, or under a tree.Marc Simont's joyous pictures, half of them in full color, accentuate the child-like charm of the words. And each painting of a tree or trees shows just how very nice they can be.

The Christmas Wish


Lori Evert - 2013
    This is one to pull out every year and savor.Long ago, a brave little girl named Anja wanted to be one of Santa's elves. So she leaves a note for her family and helps her elderly neighbor prepare for the holiday, then she straps on her skis, and heads out into the snowy landscape. From a red bird to a polar bear to a reindeer, a menagerie of winter animals help Anja make her way to Santa. A generous trim-size, matte cover, and foiled title make this a special book for the holiday season.

I Wish It Would Snow!


Sarah Dillard - 2018
    And, finally, the fluffy flakes begin to fall from the sky. First one flake at a time, then more and more until little bunny finds himself up to his ears in a blizzard and then—whoops!—he rolls downhill in a gigantic snow ball, right through the front door of his treehouse. Home and cozy at last, he wakes up next morning and ready to play outside with his forest friends. Sledding down a snowy hill, his frolicking comes to an abrupt halt when he hits the grass! Oh, no! Now there’s not enough snow!

Mama Built a Little Nest


Jennifer Ward - 2014
    There are so many different kinds of birds—and those birds build so many different kinds of nests to keep their babies cozy. With playful, bouncy rhyme, Jennifer Ward explores nests large and small, silky and cottony, muddy and twiggy—and all the birds that call them home!

The Snowman


Raymond Briggs - 1978
    The pictures have "the hazy softness of air in snow." A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night. The boy invites him home and in return is taken on a flight high above the countryside.

Those Darn Squirrels!


Adam Rubin - 2008
    He'll build some birdfeeders and fill them with yummy seeds and berries. That way, the wild birds he loves so much will stick around for the winter--instead of flying south. But there are other hungry creatures in the forest, and the have plans, too...Those darn squirrels!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


Robert Lewis May - 1939
    May, a copywriter working at Chicago's Montgomery Ward & Co., wrote a holiday story at the request of his employer. Almost two and a half million copies of the little tale about a reindeer with a shiny red nose were given away to all the children who visited Montgomery Ward stores that year. The rest is history. Over seventy years later, the beloved classic is once again available in a hardcover faithful facsimile of the 1939 Rudolph, with original text and original Denver Gillen illustrations.

Winter Waits


Lynn Plourde - 2000
    "Father, Father, come on, let's play." Father Time smiles and kisses his son. "Not now, I must work, my littlest one."So Winter waits for an hour or two, painting the grass with a frosty hue..."While Winter waits for his father, he finds ways to amuse himself. Winter "whistens and glistens" the world in frost, "whizzles and whittles" ice sculptures, and "snizzes and snips" snowflakes. At last, Father Time turns his full attention to his son, and they "frisk and frolic away."Lynn Plourde, author of the best-selling picture book "Wild Child," reunites with acclaimed illustrator Greg Couch to continue the story of Nature's family with this exquisite book that captures the joy of a father-son relationship.

On Meadowview Street


Henry Cole - 2007
    The yard, like all the surrounding yards, is plain, boring grass. But then she discovers a wildflower. Soon she’s got her own little wildflower preserve, carefully protected from Dad’s lawn mower. She adds a tree . . . a pond . . . birdhouses . . .she’s brought a meadow to Meadowview Street! Time brings more little meadows, as the neighbors see how beautiful and alive a yard can be. An ideal choice for classroom reading and sharing and for inspiring the creation of green corridors—safe havens for migrating birds and butterflies—at home. For fans of Peter Brown's The Curious Garden, Joanna Gaines's We Are the Gardeners, and Christie Matheson's Tap the Magic Tree.“This lovely picture book offers children a quiet approach to embracing the natural world.”—School Library Journal, starred review “Gentle persuasion for the naturalist in everyone.”—Kirkus Reviews