Yuletide yarns
Tucking books under the tree sure to delight kids of all ages
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/12/2023 (745 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
How do you find the perfect gift for a child or teenager? Think books! They don’t need batteries, they’re easily portable and when your recipient has finished them they can be passed on to another eager reader. Here are a few new releases that we can recommend for different age levels.
PICTURE BOOKS (AGES 3-7)
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?
By Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press, 32 pages, hardcover, $25)
Barnett, an American author of over 50 books for children, tries to answer that difficult question to a child’s satisfaction. Does he shrink himself to the size of a mouse? Does he come down head first? Maybe he stretches out like taffy? These are just a few of the amusing solutions suggested. And what if you don’t have a chimney? Or why doesn’t your dog bark?
Young book lovers will chuckle as Jon Klassen’s pictures depict Santa in these many different situations and in a dozen more as well.
Elves are the Worst
Elves Are the Worst!
By Alex Willan (Simon & Schuster, 40 pages, hardcover, $24)
A goblin sets out to prove that he is just as capable as one of Santa’s elves. Can he make the perfect toy? How does he fit into Santa’s workshop? He learns that elves have a secret he needs to learn.
This is a companion story to Willan’s popular books Unicorns Are the Worst, Dragons Are the Worst and Yetis Are the Worst. The pictures are large and lively. Willan adds plenty of amusing comments like “Elves are so hard-working and so perfect. Ho-ho-hogwash.”
The Three Little Mittens
The Three Little Mittens
By Linda Bailey, illustrated by Natalia Shaloshvili (Tundra, 32 pages, hardcover, $24)
Vancouver author Linda Bailey is a well-known and well-loved children’s author. This is an amusing and entertaining account of how the mitten who has lost his partner eventually finds not only his companion but a whole new way of looking at mittens. For anyone who has a box full of unattached mittens or socks.
Ukraine-born London resident Natalia Shaloshvili’s acrylic and pencil illustrations look woolly and pretty: perfect for little ones’ hands.
How to Decorate a Christmas Tree
How to Decorate a Christmas Tree
By Vikki VanSickle, illustrated by Miki Sato (Tundra, 40 pages, hardcover, $25)
Young readers who are about to decorate (or have just decorated) a Christmas tree will enjoy this step-by-step narrative of this Christmas tradition. From finding the perfect tree to finding an ornament with your name on it and sitting with hot chocolate to admire your work, this will make little ones smile. The author presents regular segments on CTV Morning Live.
The Tragically Hip ABC
The Tragically Hip ABC
Adapted by Drew Macklin, illustrated by Clayton Hanmer, Julia Breckenreid, Bridget George and Monika Melnychuk (Tundra, 32 pages, hardcover, $25).
This is an ABC picture book with a difference — it is a tribute to the late Gord Downie and his legendary Canadian band. From “A is Ahead by a Century” to “Z is for Frozen in My Tracks” it celebrates their 40 years of music.
Of special note are the illustrations by four exceptional Canadian artists who help to make this a picture book to treasure. Their vibrant cartoon-like pictures make the characters almost leap off the page. A book for Hip fans and their kids to cherish.
MID-LEVEL READERS (AGES 8-12)
When the Stars Came Home
When the Stars Came Home
By Brittany Luby, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Little, Brown and Co., 40 pages, hardcover, $24)
When Ojiig’s family have to relocate to the city, he misses picking blueberries, catching his fresh dinner and saying hello to all his neighbours — but mostly, he misses seeing the stars at night.
Luby, who is of Anishinaabe descent, catches the loneliness felt by the young boy until his mother makes him a beautiful star blanket to remind him of the night skies in his northern Canadian home. Each triangle in the blanket represents part of his family’s history: yellow for the sack of potatoes his mother hid the children in when authorities tried to take them away to school; red for his great-grandfather’s locks which caused hm to stand out and meet his wife; white like his great-grandmother’s hair.
Donovan, originally from Vancouver and now living in Washington State, has added vibrant illustrations in vivid earth colours to make this an attractive offering.
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive
By Mélanie Watt (Tundra, 88 pages, hardcover, $17)
The many fans of Scaredy Squirrel will welcome this early chapter book, presented like a graphic novel, as Scaredy Squirrel makes his usual hilarious mistakes as he decorates a tree, makes a gingerbread house selects gifts and plans a Christmas party.
With six short chapters, early readers will chuckle as he paints tennis balls to put on the tree and glues marbles on his cardboard house. As he celebrates with his friends, Ivy and Tim, they find ways to make Christmas merry even when the decorations are smashed and the chocolate fountain explodes. Part of Scaredy’s Nutty Adventures, there are two previous books about Scaredy Squirrel: Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell and Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise.
TEEN READERS (AGES 12 AND UP)
Hopeless in Hope
Hopeless in Hope
By Wanda John-Kehewin (HighWater Press, 216 pages, paperback, $17).
Fourteen-year-old Eva Brown thinks, on a scale of one to 10, her life is zero. Her Mom is a drunk, her shoes are full of holes, school is full of bullies and when her kokum breaks her hip and has to stay in hospital, she has to care for her younger brother.
But a caring teacher who steers her towards a poetry prize and a social worker and a foster mother who show that foster care can be a place to find love and friends help turn her life around. Written by an Indigenous author who has experienced much of Eva’s story, this is a book that will inspire young readers to look forward, despite obstacles in their way.
The Secret of the Ravens
The Secret of the Ravens
By Joanna Cacao (Clarion Books, 272 pages, paperback, $20)
This attractive graphic novel by Winnipeg author and illustrator Cacao features siblings Elliot and Liza, who call on the mysterious powers of the ravens to help them escape a life of poverty. As they head toward the nation’s capital Elliot is persuaded to enlist as a royal mage for the army, but eventually lands in the royal prison with Liza abducted to an unknown place. It requires courage and magic to break free.
There is plenty of action and suspense in this mid-grade novel, and the illustrations are vivid and expressive. There is a whole vocabulary of magic words which adds an unusual aspect to the story. Cacao is of Filipino heritage and incorporates many of their legends into this action-filled narrative.
Iz the Apocalypse
Iz the Apocalypse
By Susan Currie (Common Deer Press, 290 pages, paperback, $15)
Fourteen-year-old Iz has been in 26 foster homes and attended 11 schools. She’s pretty well given up hope until she hears an incredible musical performance by an elitist school music group. The music strikes a chord with her and she longs to attend this school and join the group.
But there are problems: money, references, auditions. She resorts to illegal practices to succeed and the consequences lead to plenty of trouble. Can she escape a prison sentence? How can she possibly pursue her dream of being a professional musician?
Readers will want to encourage Iz in her fight to express her musical talent and see a future where she is free and successful. Susan Currie is a teacher with a specialty in music from Brampton, Ont., who was briefly in the foster care system herself. She writes convincingly about the many insecurities faced by those in care and their difficulties in expressing their ambitions and desires. She is a member of the Cayuga Nation, Turtle Clan and has written two other books: Basket of Beethoven and The Mask that Sang.
Helen Norrie is a Winnipeg writer who would like to wish all her readers very happy holiday season — with lots of new books!