Sleigh bells ring. People pleading for some gifts made for reading. They’re new and they’re old and festively told: stories for a winter wonderland.* Here’s our annual list of recommended illustrated holiday books, new or reissued — season’s greetings from the Horn Book staff! *with apologies to lyricist Jeremy Stuart...
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten; illus. by Garry Meeches Sr. Primary Charlesbridge 32 pp. g 8/22 978-1-62354-290-0 $16.99 “Many Americans call it a day of thanksgiving. Many of our people call it a day of mourning.” A team of Native creators provides...
The Best Gift for Bear by Jennifer A. Bell; illus. by the author Preschool Two Lions/Amazon 40 pp. g 9/22 978-1-5420-2922-3 $17.99 Hedgehog has been baking cookies for her friends and neighbors, but “Bear should have a grand gift, a special gift, something wonderful…just like Bear.” Nothing...
A Very Mercy Christmas [Mercy Watson] by Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Chris Van Dusen Primary Candlewick 32 pp. g 9/22 978-1-5362-1360-7 $18.99 In this Mercy Watson picture-book spinoff, young Stella Endicott is feeling the Christmas spirit. She asks her neighbors to go caroling, but all the humans are either...
Snow Horses: A First Night Story by Patricia MacLachlan; illus. by Micha Archer Primary McElderry 40 pp. g 11/22 978-1-5344-7355-3 $18.99 e-book ed. 978-1-5344-7356-0 $10.99 On New Year’s Eve, young Jenny drives Percheron horses Tim and Tom from their farm to the market for a bustling celebration (“There is...
The Boston Chocolate Party by Tami Lehman-Wilzig and Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz; illus. by Fede Combi Primary Apples & Honey/Behrman 32 pp. g 10/22 978-1-68115-576-0 $17.95 Lehman-Wilzig and Prinz set their story during Hanukkah 1773 in the American colonies, centering Sephardic New England Jews. Protagonist Joshua’s...
Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story by Fran Manushkin; illus. by Kris Easler Primary Charlesbridge 32 pp. g 9/22 978-1-62354-156-9 $17.99 e-book ed. 978-1-63289-937-8 $9.99 It’s Hanukkah, and the Menashe family is stuck at home during a blizzard in this picture-book reissue, with new illustrations and an updated...
Through the North Pole Snow by Polly Faber; illus. by Richard Jones Primary Candlewick 32 pp. g 11/22 978-1-5362-2852-6 $18.99 While searching for food in the snow, a white fox is rescued by a kindly bearded man. Though the man’s identity as Santa Claus isn’t revealed until...
Hanukkah Nights by Amalia Hoffman; illus. by the author Preschool Kar-Ben 24 pp. g 10/22 978-1-7284-2883-3 $8.99 e-book ed. 978-1-7284-6921-8 $7.99 “1 light. / Special night. / 2 lights. / Happy nights.” A soothingly simple text guides young listeners through the nights and lights of Hanukkah in this...
Hanukkah in Little Havana by Julie Anna Blank; illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera Primary Kar-Ben 24 pp. g 10/22 978-1-7284-4284-6 $19.99 Paper ed. 978-1-7284-4285-3 $8.99 e-book ed. 978-1-7284-6918-8 $7.99 A Maryland family spends Hanukkah with their Nonna and Nonno (the Ladino names for grandparents) in Miami’s...