Enjoy some cozy downtime with your youngster during this Holiday Season with any of these “Jingle Book” recommendations from Lower School Librarian Betty Castello. Let them form the basis of new bedtime traditions this year and for years to come. They can also make excellent Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers for the young ones in your life.
by Laura Numeroff (Author), Felicia Bond (Illustrator)
This delightful picture book features the now-famous protagonist in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. See what holiday-themed mischief he has in mind for the popcorn you buy him at the movies. It’s another “giggle-inspiring classic.”
by Katy Flint (Adapter), Jessica Courtney-Tickle (Illustrator)
This beautifully illustrated hardcover “sound book” is an abridged journey through the sights and sounds of The Nutcracker. Push the button on each beautiful page to listen to the scene’s vivid soundtrack with an orchestra playing from Tchaikovsky’s score.
by O. Henry (Author), Lisbeth Zwerger (Illustrator)
This hardcover picture book with award-winning illustrations gives this classic work of American literature extra poignancy with watercolor illustrations by award-winning artist Lisbeth Zwerger. The perfect holiday story, this simple tale promotes the benefits of selflessness and love.
by Clement Moore (Author), Charles Santore (Illustrator)
This is a hardcover, classic edition of The New York Times Bestseller. This enchanting Christmas story — celebrating its 200th Anniversary — has been enjoyed for generations. This edition features an embossed cover and a four-page foldout. It makes a beautiful gift for the young one in your life.
by Mo Willems (Author)
This is Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems’ ninth Pigeon book. Can the pigeon’s holiday sleigh-driving obsession be realized or not? Share lots of laughter finding out.
by Ezra Jack Keats (Author)
Children love the magic and wonder of the winter season’s first snowfall. Ezra Jack Keat’s Caldecott Medal-winning picture book is a classic and “a must-have for every child’s bookshelf.” The New York Public Library has rated it the #1 book on its “Top Check-Outs of All Time” list. Follow a little boy named Peter, whose small adventures in the deep snow are perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.
by Matt Haig
Part of a three-book collection set that includes A Boy Called Christmas and Father Christmas and Me, this episode follows Eve and a friend in peril. With the help of elves, reindeer, a Queen, and a man called Charles Dickens, the search for the secret of Christmas begins.
by Mac Barnett (Author), Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
This fun-filled picture book attempts to answer this question in plausible and highly imaginative ways. This New York Times best-selling team will have you inventing your own explanations long after the reading is over.
by Vivian Walsh (Author), J.otto Seibold (Illustrator, Author)
This adorable dog is convinced she’s a reindeer. She hops on the Polar Express and heads to the North Pole. Though Santa and the other reindeer are slightly perplexed, Olive’s unique skills prove their worth.
by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Author), Renee Graef (Illustrator)
A beautiful introduction to the beloved Little House series, this book is perfect for younger readers. Share the simple joys of Christmas with Laura and her relatives in the Big Woods of Wisconsin.