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Children's Books About Winter and Snow

Cover art and brief reviews of some favorite children's picture books, including Owl Moon, The Snowy Day and Katy and the Big Snow.

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Winter Season and Holidays

Elizabeth's Children's Books Blog

Save Money on Kids' Books, Toys and Clothes

Monday December 28, 2009
The post-Christmas sales have already started. Now's the time to start shopping for children's holiday books. You can find children's books at bargain prices at both big bookstore chains and at independent bookstores. Right now, many bookstores are already discounting their Christmas books by 30-50%, and the selection is excellent. As discounts increase, the supply of books will decrease, so you'll have to balance cost versus availability in deciding when to buy. You'll find far more Christmas books than Hanukkah and Kwanzaa books at these holiday sales. However, there usually will be some of each available over the next month or so, with Hanukkah and Christmas books on sale now, and Kwanzaa books on sale by the end of the first week in January. For suggestions of books to look for, see Before You Buy Children's Books About Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Are there particular holiday books you are hoping to find on sale? Let me know by clicking on "Comments" below and posting a message. Thanks.

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Celebrate Kwanzaa with Children's Books

Saturday December 26, 2009
Celebrate Kwanzaa cover artIf you are looking for a good nonfiction Kwanzaa children's book for younger kids, I recommend Celebrate Kwanzaa. It's part of National Geographic's Holidays Around the World Series. According to the publisher, the purpose of the series is to introduce "readers in grades one to four to different religious and cultural holidays celebrated around the globe."

Like the other books in the series, Celebrate Kwanzaa is a nonfiction book, in picture book format, that is illustrated with striking color photographs. As the author points out, "Although Kwanzaa is grounded in black culture, the holiday's seven principles represent universal values that anyone can relate to." Whether you celebrate Kwanzaa or just want your children to learn about a variety of religious and cultural holidays, I recommend Celebrate Kwanzaa and the other books in the Holidays Around the World series. See my Best Children's Books about Kwanzaa reading list for more good Kwanzza books, both fiction and nonfiction.

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(Cover art courtesy of National Geographic Society)

Favor Johnson: A Christmas Story

Thursday December 24, 2009
Cover art of Favor Johnson: A Christmas StoryIt's Christmas Eve and we're celebrating with Christmas music inside while the wind howls and snow falls outside. One of my favorite Christmas picture books of 2009 is Favor Johnson: A Christmas Story, by William Lange. The setting is a cold and snowy Vermont village, and our cold and snowy weather made me think of it tonight. Favor Johnson is the story of an old man's love for his dog, the kindness of a neighbor, a gift given in thanks, and kindness and gifts spreading over the years. This poignant Christmas tale, in both words and pictures, creates a very strong sense of time, place and community.

(Cover art courtesy of Bunker Hill Publishing)

Katy and the Big Snow - A Classic

Wednesday December 23, 2009
Cover Art of the Children's Book With winter storms swirling around the country, now's a good time to snuggle up indoors and enjoy children's books about winter and snow. The children's picture book Katy and the Big Snow is a classic. It has delighted several generations of young children in our family. The story of Katy, a big red crawler tractor who saves the day when a huge snowstorm hits the city, was first published in 1943. Virgina Lee Burton, the award-winning author and illustrator of Katy and the Big Snow, won the Caldecott Medal in 1942 for her picture book The Little House, one of my childhood favorites. I think Katy and the Big Snow is one of the Best Children's Picture Books About Winter and Snow. Look over my list and let me know if any of them are family favorites and if you have other favorite children's books about winter and snow. Click on "Comments" below and share your recommendations.

(Cover art courtesy of Houghton Mifflin)

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