It's a combination of explaining the words in terms of making, baking, and sharing (or not sharing) cookies and illustrations that include both children and a variety of adorable animals dressed up like people. Not everything goes smoothly in the cookie-making and sharing process, allowing the introduction of words like "frustrated" and "selfish," but the emphasis is on the positive, with such words as "tradition," "perseverance," "gracious," "charitable," "gratitude," "thoughtful," "sharing," and "responsible." The definitions are all simple, cookie-related, and easy to understand.
Jane Dyer's appealing watercolor illustrations help to reinforce the definitions. For example, the page featuring the word "frustrated" shows a child in an apron with a bird perched on her shoulder, plus two rabbits and a sheep, also in aprons, peering unhappily at a pan of burned cookies. Embedded at the top of the illustration are the words, "FRUSTRATED means, I can't believe we burned them again!"
I recommend Christmas Cookies Bite-Size Holiday Lessons for 3- to 6-year-olds and for older children who need to expand their vocabularies. The words and life lessons are enjoyably and effectively presented, and as an added bonus, there is a recipe for Christmas cookies at the end of the book. (HarperCollins, 2008. ISBN: 9780060580247)
