Sweetwater Style: Christmas Read-A-Loud List!

You'd Better Watch Out!

You'd Better Not Pout!

You'd Better Not Cry!

I'm Telling You you Why!

The Sweetwater Retired Librarian Is Blogging Today!

I've Made You A List...

I checked it twice....

These Holiday Themed Books are really Nice!

Enough with the lame Christmas Carol Parody....

This is essentially a repost from several years ago....but the booklist is still relevant!
I have added a couple of titles that have become favorites since the original post!

On to the list of books.... Whether you are a kid or a kid at heart...

one of the best treats of the season is a cozy spot on the couch and read a loud time!

The Christmas Wish is the most beautiful book! The story of a little girl on a quest to be one of Santa's Elves is very sweet....but it is the photographs that are so amazing.

The book was written by the little girl's mom and the photos taken by her father.

This looks to become one of those classic books much like The Polar Express!
I tried to buy this last year and it was sold out everywhere....but it is now on it's way from Amazon....I can't wait for it to arrive!

The Cajun Night Before Christmas by "Trosclair" and illustrated by James Rice is a book that makes me want to have a Cajun accent.

Take the traditional Night Before Christmas poem and have Santa dressed in muskrat from his head to his toes, pile his skiff high with toys, and hitch it to eight friendly flying alligators.....and you will have some "bowl full of jelly" laughter!

There are some fun versions on You Tube if you want to hear the tale with a genuine accent!

Now on to the oldie but goodies!

Jan Brett is famous for her Christmas/Winter Themed books....Don't miss these!

When a little Reindeer Herder thinks she needs to be bossy....and this doesn't sit so well with her charges....She has to figure out something else so they will be ready to help Santa! Who knows....maybe you know a bossy pants who might learn something from the story!

This is a classic Jan Brett story....all the animals are beautifully drawn and the secondary story found in the illustrated borders is a fun discovery!

More Jan Brett with the Gingerbread Baby and Friends

A little different take on the classic story with illustrations so beautiful that they make you hungry!

Don't miss Jan Brett's Website either!
Here you will find coloring pages, videos, and hours of fun activites that relate to her wonderful books

I always bring along my almost antique Gingerbread Boy when I read these stories....

And Patricia Polacco....what a story teller she is!

I especially love how she weaves tales that have multi-cultural themes without being preachy about it!

In the Christmas Tapestry, we see love and generosity played out in a holiday story....a true connection to what the season is all about!

Oh and I love that the tapestry comes from a second hand store!

The Trees of the Dancing Goats is a story of friendship as well as a lovely way to highlight some of the wonderful Hanukkah traditions. Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah....this is a true example to show the miracle that comes from giving and sharing.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is another magical tale.

If your kids say "I saw the movie"....tell them that the book is WAY better!

The illustrations are amazing....and why the book is a Caldecott Winner....

The book with the addition of an antique looking bell makes a wonderful hostess gift for a family....

While not a "Christmas" Story....Shel Silverstein's book The Giving Tree should make all of us stop and think....

This is a finely wrought tale of the meaning of gifts....and giving!