Kate Banks  What’s Coming for Christmas?; illus. by Georg Hallensleben
     40 pp. Foster/Farrar 10/09 ISBN 978-0-374-39948-1 $15.99
     (Preschool, Primary)
In yet another successful collaboration, Banks and Hallensleben celebrate the wonders of the yuletide season. Banks’s narrative, full of sensory detail, conveys the anticipation in the air as Christmas nears: “Something was coming. You could see it in the way the snowman’s eyes sparkled. And in the way the icicles dripped in the sun like hourglasses counting the seconds.” Text and art depicting carolers, church bells, tree trimming, Nativity scenes, and cookie baking alternate with descriptions of the excitement building among the animals on the farm and in the nearby woods — an excitement that goes quietly unnoticed. What are the animals waiting for so expectantly? The book provides hints, and young readers will find the Christmas Eve birth of a foal satisfying and worth the wait. Hallensleben’s paintings, with their luminous color and thick brush strokes, capture the warmth and light of the season. J.M.B.

Julia Donaldson  Stick Man; illus. by Axel Scheffler
     32 pp. Levine/Scholastic 9/09 ISBN 978-0-545-15761-2 $16.99
     (Primary)
“Stick Man lives in the family tree / With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three.” After this homey, “Over in the Meadow”–like introduction, Stick Man’s story takes a sharp detour: he’s mistaken for a plain old stick by a playful dog, tossed off a bridge, used in a swan’s nest, and carried out to sea. Many months and indignities later, he lies forlornly in a fireplace on Christmas Eve. “Stick Man is lying asleep in the grate. / Can anyone wake him before it’s too late?” Not to worry. Donaldson’s lively rhyme and Scheffler’s comical illustrations (never has a stick looked more engaging) help temper worries about our hero’s fate. When a certain someone gets stuck coming down the chimney, it’s Stick Man to the rescue, and after that a joyous reunion for Stick Man and his family . . . a happy ending for all, and for all a good night. K.F.

Regina Fackelmayer  The Gifts; illus. by Christa Unzner
     32 pp. NorthSouth 10/09 ISBN 978-0-7358-2265-8 $16.95
     (Primary)
On Christmas Eve, heading home with gifts and a tree, young Mia helps an old man who has fallen and dropped his packages in the snow. When she realizes that, in the confusion, she has left her Christmas tree behind, she goes back to look for it. Instead, she finds a little boy who is crying because he’s lost his hat. Mia gives him her own hat so he won’t get in trouble with his grandfather. Back home, bereft of a Christmas tree, Mia no longer feels in a holiday mood, but two surprise visitors quickly reverse her outlook. Fackelmayer presents readers with a story about the true Christmas spirit of giving — and adds a little magic to her tale, too, in the mysterious identities of the little boy and old man. Unzner’s illustrations are soft but light-filled, bringing their own magic to the message at the heart of this old-fashioned story. CYNTHIA RITTER

Linda Glaser  Hoppy Hanukkah!; illus. by Daniel Howarth
     32 pp. Whitman 9/09 ISBN 978-0-8075-3378-9 $15.99
     (Preschool, Primary)
A hoppy — ahem, happy — extended family of bunnies celebrates Hanukkah. Young siblings Violet and Simon enter boisterously into the festivities, and their enthusiastic missteps (“‘Now let’s light them!’ said Simon” of the menorah candles) create opportunities for young readers to learn the holiday’s rituals (“‘Not yet,’ said Papa. ‘Not until the sun sets’”). The bunnies are floppy-eared, furry, and winsome in their vividly colored people-clothes; the sunny yellow backdrops and joyful bunny faces telegraph the book’s simple, feel-good holiday spirit. Latkes, dreidel playing, and affirmation of family (“My little bunnies! You know what really makes it feel like Hanukkah? . . . YOU!”) round out this genial offering. CLAIRE E. GROSS

Nikki Grimes  Voices of Christmas; illus. by Eric Velasquez
     32 pp. Zonderkidz 10/09 ISBN 978-0-310-71192-6 $16.99 g
     (Primary, Intermediate)
Grimes brings her lyrical style — and a compassionate, human-centered tone — to the Nativity story. Each double-page spread comprises three parts: a character’s portrait is vividly rendered; a biblical passage establishes the current segment of the overarching narrative; and a poem offers readers entrance to the story through the eyes of the spotlighted character, from Gabriel to Mary to Herod to the innkeeper. The monologues are sparely poetic, emphasizing the humanity of each iconic figure: after being told that she will deliver the child of God, Mary is “rooted to this dirt floor, / dizzy with wonder, / pinching my wrist, / waiting to wake / from this dream.” The text is unabashedly spiritual; the book design is sumptuous, with its gold typeface and endpapers; the paintings are dramatically composed, alternately dark and luminous (or sometimes both). Together, they make a familiar story seem newly resonant. A CD with original music and the author’s reading is included. CLAIRE E. GROSS

Margaret Hodges, reteller  The Wee Christmas Cabin; illus. by Kimberly Bulcken Root
     32 pp. Holiday 9/09 ISBN 978-0-8234-1528-1 $16.95
     (Primary, Intermediate)
In this retelling of Ruth Sawyer’s 1941 “The Wee Christmas Cabin of Carn-na-Ween,” Oona longs for a cabin of her own, but as the cast-off daughter of itinerant tinkers, she must spend her life making herself useful in her Irish village, “serving and nursing and mothering and loving.” When the great famine comes, and she finds herself no longer wanted, she sets out into the snow on Christmas Eve. Because of her lifelong unselfishness, the fairies rescue her and build her the cabin she has always dreamed of . . . and now on every white Christmas the magical cabin reappears, with a perpetually young Oona welcoming “old ones not needed any longer by others, children crying for their mothers, lads or lasses in trouble.” Hodges tailors her condensed version of Sawyer’s story to more modern attention spans but, save for a watered-down ending, is mainly faithful to the original. (For an unabridged picture book version, see The Wee Christmas Cabin of Carn-na-ween, illustrated by Max Grafe, rev. 11/05.) Root’s watercolors of thatched stone cottages and windswept wintry expanses do justice to a somewhat melancholy holiday story. M.V.P.

Petr Horácek  Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star; illus. by the author
     40 pp. Candlewick 9/09 ISBN 978-0-7636-4487-1 $15.99
     (Preschool)
Suzy Goose (Look Out, Suzy Goose) returns in a holiday adventure of determination and pluck as she ventures out to acquire the perfect star to top the barnyard Christmas tree. Believing that the bright star shining above her is within reach, she embarks on a mission to capture it. Each jump — from the top of a hill, fence, and log pile — ends with a “splat!” Suzy decides to walk to the star, but she soon finds herself alone and lost in a blizzard. Fortunately, familiar sounds (“honk,” “oink”) lead her home, where she and her friends realize that the star now shines directly over their decorated tree. Suzy’s distinct personality shines, too, as her courage and fortitude raise her friends’ spirits and make their Christmas complete. The bold illustrations showcase the dazzling contrast between the rich blues of the night sky and the cool white of the snow-covered landscape, while the text, with its many animal sounds and onomatopoeic noises, makes for a dynamic read-aloud. KATRINA HEDEEN

Thomas King  A Coyote Solstice Tale; illus. by Gary Clement
     64 pp. Groundwood 9/09 ISBN 978-0-88899-929-0 $14.95
     (Primary, Intermediate)
Oh no — not another tale of holiday togetherness, in annoying doggerel, no less! Well, it is, and it isn’t. First Nations author King (A Coyote Columbus Story) demonstrates his characteristic iconoclastic humor in this anti-consumerism story. A little girl, looking for “friendship and goodwill and peace” in a materialistic world, unexpectedly drops in on Coyote and his friends at Christmastime. Setting out through the woods to bring her home, they find themselves at the mall, where Coyote temporarily falls under the spell of excessive consumption. The rather relentless meter of the verse would seem to deliver the message with a heavy hand — but King breaks into the sing-song with deadpan commentary (“So this is what humans do, said Coyote”) that makes it clear there’s much fun being poked here. Dryly humorous cartoon illustrations in pen-and-ink and watercolor wash put Coyote’s emotions on full display — whether a bundle of nerves when first meeting the little girl or blissed out on shopping. M.V.P.

Kristin Kladstrup  The Gingerbread Pirates; illus. by Matt Tavares
     32 pp. Candlewick 9/09 ISBN 978-0-7636-3223-6 $16.99
     (Primary)
On Christmas Eve, a pirate captain gingerbread man (with a toothpick for a peg leg) refuses to accept his crew’s fate on the plate of the season’s most notorious cookie eater, Santa. Captain Cookie’s quest to rescue his crew from their cookie-jar imprisonment is not without peril, and humorous obstacles abound, including an encounter with a mouse that leaves him weaponless (his gingerbread cutlass is devoured before his eyes) and a pervasive confusion as to what Christmas is all about. In the end, Santa steps in to teach the pirates about the true nature of Christmas, graciously forgoing his snack in their favor and granting Captain Cookie his wish — to become the captain of a toy pirate ship. Tavares’s vivid watercolor and gouache paintings dramatize Kladstrup’s lively text with vigor in this imaginative adventure story. ELIZABETH HOWARD

Patricia MacLachlan  The True Gift: A Christmas Story; illus. by Brian Floca
     85 pp. Atheneum 10/09 ISBN 978-1-4169-9081-9 $12.99
     (Primary, Intermediate)
Lily and Liam love visiting their grandparents every Christmas. They take walks, read, and buy gifts for their family — but this year is different. Liam can’t stop thinking about Gran and Grandpa’s cow and how lonely she must feel now that she’s the only animal left on the farm. Lily resents his worrying, which threatens to ruin their usual carefree stay, and tries to convince him that cows don’t have feelings. Instead, she finds herself believing that maybe they do. When Liam comes up with a plan to find a friend for White Cow, everyone’s Christmas, not just the cow’s, is made merrier. Floca’s realistic black-and-white illustrations reflect the solemn tone of MacLachlan’s deeply moving tale, narrated in older sister Lily’s thoughtful voice. A straightforward text and a heartwarming story make this chapter book a compelling read-aloud; the handsome red-and-gold jacket is all the wrapping this gift requires. J.M.B.

Barbara Barbieri McGrath  The Little Red Elf; illus. by Rosalinde Bonnet
     32 pp. Charlesbridge 7/09 ISBN 978-1-58089-236-0 $14.95
     (Preschool, Primary)
The little red elf is used to doing everything herself while her friends the reindeer, the penguin, and the hare laze around the workshop. It comes as no surprise that her cheerful requests for help preparing for Christmas are quickly dismissed. “‘Who will help me put out milk and cookies?’ ‘Not I,’ said the reindeer. ‘Why bother saying yes now?’ said the penguin. ‘I’m allergic,’ said the hare.” On Christmas morning, however, everyone is more than eager to assist in opening presents. Bonnet’s more-than-helpful illustrations give an extra-festive boost to McGrath’s already spirited version of a familiar tale. Even at their cheekiest, the reindeer, penguin, and hare look friendly and cuddly. The little red elf’s “most positive of attitudes” shines through in the text and art, but the pictures also hint that, like her predecessor, she’s no chump. Speaking of whom, the little red hen herself makes a cameo appearance in the poetically just ending. K.F.

Clement C. Moore  The Night Before Christmas; illus. by Rachel Isadora
     32 pp. Putnam 10/09 ISBN 978-0-399-25408-6 $16.99
     (Preschool, Primary)
In this Christmas fantasy, Isadora creatively recasts Moore’s famous verse, transporting readers to a snow-dusted African village. While the children dream of sugarplums, mamma (“in her ’kerchief,” a patterned head wrap) and the narrator, wearing traditional African dress and cap, mark Santa’s arrival, reindeer in tow. St. Nick, cheeks round and rosy against brown skin, is dressed in a big red coat, jaunty red hat (beneath which spill snowy-white dreadlocks barely contained by multicolored hair bands), heavy black boots — and orange giraffe-print trousers. His gifts include a train set, a bicycle, and African dolls and stuffed animals (elephant, zebra, giraffe). As Santa takes off, the family looks on in wonder as, silhouetted against a large, yellow full moon in a midnight-blue sky, he bids them adieu (“Happy Christmas to all. / And to all a good-night!”). Throughout the collage illustrations, patterns, colors, and textures beautifully evoke the familiarity of Christmas holiday traditions within a distinctly nontraditional setting. ELISSA GERSHOWITZ

Pat Mora  A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas; illus. by Magaly Morales
     32 pp. Clarion 9/09 ISBN 978-0-618-84198-1 $16.00
     (Preschool, Primary)
In this zippy spin on “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a cherub-like little girl dances across the pages as she accumulates gifts from her amiga. Beginning with “a piñata in a pine tree” and culminating in “doce angelitos celebrando” (twelve angels rejoicing), the double-page spreads each contain a pronunciation guide for both gifts and numbers. Morales’s candy-colored acrylic paintings play with space and proportion and exude the girl’s contagious holiday joy. As the energetic protagonist celebrates the gifts each new day brings, a subtle story line unfolds in the background. When the twelfth day of Christmas finally arrives, the little girl’s parents appear with the best gift of all: a newborn amiga, a baby sister. End matter includes informative author’s and illustrator’s notes, a glossary and pronunciation guide, and music. CHELSEY PHILPOT

Jim Murphy  Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting
     116 pp. Scholastic 10/09 ISBN 978-0-545-13049-3 $19.99 g
     (Intermediate, Middle School)
Murphy’s account of the famed Christmas Truce, which spontaneously and irregularly broke out along the Western Front on Christmas Eve, 1914, occupies only the middle part of this history, which is just as it should be. The first third of the book ambitiously — but sparely and effectively, too — outlines the causes of the Great War, demonstrating that the alleged flashpoint of the Archduke’s assassination was but an excuse for the already bristling powers to get on with the war. Murphy then moves into a close-up view of the trenches on both sides of No Man’s Land, a shift in perspective thematically allied to the decisions of the foot-soldiers to stop fighting, if only for a day or two. The historical background Murphy provides gives the truce emotional resonance; his subsequent, concise summary of the next four years of carnage is all the more sobering in contrast. Plentiful photographs and period illustrations convey the paradoxes well: German corpses in a trench in France; English and German officers posing together in No Man’s Land. R.S.

Ellen Bryan Obed  Who Would Like a Christmas Tree?: A Tree for All Seasons; illus. by Anne Hunter
     32 pp. Houghton 9/09 ISBN 978-0-547-04625-9 $16.00
     (Primary)
What use is a fir tree in January? April? August? This sweet book explores the many ways a Christmas tree is useful all year round as part of the ecosystem of a Christmas tree plantation. Each double-page spread begins by asking, “Who would like a Christmas tree in . . . ?” and for every month one animal offers its perspective. In May, the robin likes to “perch on the top of the Christmas tree and sing”; in September, the garden spider makes her web between “a row of Christmas trees, where there is plenty of sun and little wind.” Hunter’s painterly watercolor and ink illustrations depict the various featured animals — black-capped chickadees, white-tailed deer, monarch butterflies, etc. — against an ever-present grove of fir trees in the background. The final pages show a happy family taking a tree home in December. End matter includes additional information on the ecology of a Christmas tree farm. CHELSEY PHILPOT

Lauren Thompson  The Christmas Magic; illus. by Jon J Muth
     40 pp. Scholastic 9/09 ISBN 978-0-439-77497-0 $16.99
     (Preschool, Primary)
“Far, far north, where the reindeer are, there is a snug little house with a bright red door. And in that house lives Santa Claus.” As soon as he “feels a tingling in his whiskers,” Santa (casually dressed in short blue pants, a gray-and-white striped shirt, a brown coverall apron, and bunny slippers) begins preparations for the big event. He calls in the reindeer, polishes to a shine his red sled, and consults his book, carefully pairing particular toys with deserving children. Thompson’s quiet text captures the story’s breath-held hush of anticipation leading to “the Christmas magic”: “It has come at last, as it always has, and always will.” Muth’s tranquil watercolor and pastel illustrations displaying the snowy, remote setting subtly incorporate familiar Christmas symbols and motifs. A perfect way to settle overexcited young ones for Christmas Eve bedtime. ELISSA GERSHOWITZ