Favorite Christmas Picture Books
Nerd #1 here! So excited to be back writing about bookish things here in the Nook. College classes are over and thus I find myself with ample reading time (paired with lots of tea-drinking time in this cool weather we're getting!). It's either that, or I will end up most likely watching BBC adaptations of Jane Austen books or running through the house singing every Broadway musical that I know.
No matter how old I am, I always find myself gravitating back towards children's books this time of year. There's something about Advent that brings back so many wonderful memories of reading every Tomie dePaola book we owned over the weeks leading up to Christmas. I absolutely love our vast collection of Christmas picture books that we've been gathering for the past twenty years, and I want to share a few favorites in this final week before Christmas.
One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham
This book may just have the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen. Not only that, but it tells the fullest Nativity story that I've ever seen a picture book tell. We begin at the dawn of creation and end with the Resurrection, hearing the entire story of God's salvation for the world. What better way to explore the fullest meaning of Christmas?
The Donkey's Dream Barbara Helen Berger
Here we follow the story of the journey to Bethlehem from the perspective of the donkey that carried the Blessed Mother and her Child. I love the imagery and symbolism used in this book: the donkey dreams that he is carrying a beautiful city, a ship, a fountain, a rose and "a lady full of heaven." What a beautiful reflection on the Blessed Mother and her role in the story of our salvation!
And here comes the Great Tomie dePaola Onslaught of Amazing Picture Books...
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola is my hero. Luckily, he's written perhaps 90% of the Christmas books we own. His illustrations are simply beautiful, colorful and perfect for children, and his words ring with poetry. The Legend of the Poinsettia introduces us to the Mexican legend of the fire flower, the poinsettia, from the point of view of young Lucia as the Lord transforms her humble offering into the flowers that we have come to associate so closely with Christmas.
The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola
Another Tomie dePaola masterpiece! I love the Spanish custom of Las Posadas (traveling from door to door on the nights leading up to Christmas to sing carols, as the Holy Family traveled from door to door in Bethlehem seeking shelter). This story shows us the custom in modern day with a miraculous turn of events: when the couple acting as Mary and Joseph are unable to join the carolers on Christmas Eve, the group is accompanied by the Holy Family themselves.
The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola
While not explicitly a Christmas story, we have always placed The Clown of God among our Christmas/Advent books. We follow the story of young Giovanni: a gifted juggler in Italy whose journey leads him from juggling in the streets to performing for kings. Giovanni grows old and ultimately performs his final performance for an image of the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus on Christmas Eve, offering his gifts for the glory of God.
The Story of the Three Wise Kings, Tomie de Paola
Okay, this is really an Epiphany story. It is a wonderful book to read in the days following Christmas, mainly because of its chronological accuracy. Tomie dePaola portrays the arrival of the three kings as occurring as much as a year after the Nativity, after the flight into Egypt when they would most likely have actually visited the Holy Family. Mr. dePaola's illustrations are brilliant as always and his prose flows as though it is poetry.
The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola
A great book for the Epiphany, especially to go along with the The Story of the Three Wise Kings. The legend of Old Befana is familiar to European children as the woman who flies across the sky on Twelfth Night in search of the Child Jesus, leaving behind gifts for each child she visits. "For, after all...I never know which child might be the Baby King of Bethlehem."
Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola
This book is simply fun and delightful for Christmastime. We have an adorable story here of young Jingle offering a Christmas Even circus performance to an elderly village when the rest of his troupe has gone on to perform in a larger town. A small forewarning: just about every other word in this book is in Italian, making for a not-so-simple read-aloud. (I can remember listening to our mom read this book to us on a long car ride during Advent, and our dad asking in exasperation if we could read something in English!)
Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaola
Just one of the many reasons to love this book is that Mr. dePaola ties the traditions of Santa Claus to the actual St. Nicholas residing in Heaven. He aids three of the smallest angels (Ari, Pip and Kira) as they help prepare for the annual Heavenly celebration of Christmas and show that sometimes the smallest angels can make the biggest difference.
(Yay for all the Hobbit people!!!)
Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by (you guessed it) Tomie dePaola
I saved one of my favorites for last! Strega Nona (Grandma Witch) is my (other) hero, although Big Anthony remains one of my favorite characters in children's books. It's really difficult to describe what is so lovable about this book. Perhaps it's Big Anthony's inability to follow any of Strega Nona's orders, or maybe the awesome illustrations, or Strega Nona's constant refrain of, "No magic at Christmastime!" Whatever it is, every child needs to experience this story.
Merry Christmas from the Nerds!