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...
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...
Mendel’s Hanukkah Mess Up by Chana Stiefel and Larry Stiefel; illus. by Daphna Awadish Primary Kalaniot/Endless Mountains 32 pp. g 10/22 978-1-7350875-7-3 $19.99 Mendel loves Hanukkah but is prone to, and known for, making mistakes. He over-onions the latkes, for example, and uses sparklers in place...
The Perfect Tree by Corinne Demas; illus. by Penelope Dullaghan Preschool, Primary Cameron/Abrams 32 pp. g 10/22 978-1-951836-42-9 $17.99 e-book ed. 978-1-647007-95-9 $15.54 It’s the day before Christmas, and Bunny is searching for the perfect tree, one that is just her size. Along the way...
When Santa Came to Stay by Billy Sharff; illus. by Eda Kaban Primary Dial 40 pp. g 10/22 978-0-593-32523-0 $18.99 e-book ed. 978-0-593-32524-7 $10.99 “Each meal was full of Christmas cheer, / With treats and sweets to spare.” What happens when Santa returns to one family’s house on New...
Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night by Megan Litwin; illus. by Nneka Myers Preschool, Primary Clarion/HarperCollins 40 pp. g 9/22 978-0-358-57204-6 $18.99 A gentle text inspired by “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” notes the qualities of a winter evening. From the peaceful snow-covered woods, to a decorated town, to...
Randy, the Badly Drawn Reindeer by T. L. McBeth ; illus. by the author Primary Godwin/Holt 40 pp. g 11/22 978-1-250-26384-1 $18.99 e-book ed. 978-1-250-90590-1 $10.99 Back in his third book, (not-so-badly-drawn) horse Randy dreams of flying with Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve, “But alas, I’m just a beautiful...
Eight Nights, Eight Lights by Natalie Barnes; illus. by Andrea Stegmaier Preschool, Primary Kane Miller 32 pp. g 12/22 978-1-68464-441-4 $14.99 As the families in one city neighborhood celebrate Chanukah, readers get a night-by-night glimpse into their homes and practices. Young Max, his grandparents, and his...