December Books
Over and Under the Snow
by Kate Messner
A charming, and informative, non-fiction book about animals in the winter time. A young girl enjoys a day of cross-country skiing with her father. She notices signs of animals, asking her father questions. The young girl eagerly absorbs her father's telling of how the animals adapt to winter under the snow and above the snow. The author's note at the end contains a paragraph of information about each featured animal.
How Do You Know It's Winter?
by Ruth Owen
An excellent choice for teaching early elementary children about winter. This is a great winter read aloud with photos and artwork on each page.
"In some places, the weather is cold and snowy. In others, it's rainy and cool. People help birds find food by putting up bird feeders in their backyards. Days are shorter and nights are longer, and kids find more indoor activities to fill their afternoons. What does it all mean? It must be winter! From changes in the growth cycles of plants to the signs of winter that can be found in backyards, parks, woodlands, wetlands, cities, and farms across North America, this fact-filled book will give kids an exciting opportunity to explore nature in action.
Fun activities, such as recording relative changes in temperature, precipitation, and the length of days in weather notebooks, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures. Expertly crafted to meet early elementary reading and science curriculum standards, How Do You Know It's Winter? introduces young readers to science concepts and the two fundamental components of scientific inquiry--making observations, and drawing inferences from those observations."
The Paddington Treasury: Six Classic Bedtime Stories
by Michael Bond
The beloved Paddington Bear stories are about the adventures and mishaps of a polite bear that was found abandoned at a London train station and taken in by a British family.
Engaging beautifully-illustrated stories are gently humorous and comforting and will be treasured for many years. The best bear ever!
The Classic Adventures Of Paddington Bear The Complete Collection (15 Book Set Slipcase Edition)
by Michaiel Bond
Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 978-0375869228
The Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree
by David Rubel
A Depression-era family's connection to the first humble Christmas tree on New York's Rockefeller Center site in 1931. A holiday story filled with the holiday spirit of compassion, friendship, and generosity. The story combines the traditions of the Rockefller Center Tree and the work done by the Habitat for Humanity program.
The story of eight-year-old Henry and his out-of work father who borrows a truck sell trees in Manhattan at Christmas time. One of the leftover trees is given to the construction workers building Rockefeller Center. That tree is decorated by the construction workers and becomes the first Rockefeller Tree and the finest that Henry has ever seen. Henry wishes for a warm house instead of the shack he lives in.
The constuction workers collect discarded contruction materials and on Christmas day build a new house for Henry's family. Henry plants a pinecone and it grows. When Henry is an old man he repays the gift given him and his family by donating to the Rockefeller Center a beautiful Christmas tree, the wood of the tree will be used to construct for a family in need.
Written by children's nonfiction author David Rubel, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, The Carpenter's Gift features charming, full-color illustrations by Jim LaMarche. The story and illustrations are perfectly paired
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0375844643
The Nutcracker
by Stephanie Spinner
A beautifully illustrated book that tells the plot of the ballet in chronological order. The story of the little girl Maria and her Christmas gift of a wooden nutcracker doll who in her dream turns into a young prince. The illustrations emphasis the 19th century setting with muted colors and brighter colors for the dream. The exquisite illustrations captures the magic of the ballet. A wonderfully introduction to the ballet. A CD of the score performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra is included.
