7 Quick Takes: Advent Reading Round-Up Week Four

We have had a lot of repeat readings of Maple and Willow's Christmas Tree and Who is Coming to Our House? which I have mentioned in past round-ups, but this week, in the home stretch of our Christmas countdown, we also added a few more new-to-Miss-Muffet titles. Here are this week's highlights:

The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet by Deborah Hautzig and Diane Goode 

I had this book as a child, back when my elementary school chorus did a singable production of the Nutcracker, but had not thought of it at all in over 20 years until I saw a post about it on Instagram. Because Miss Muffet has been very interested in the story of The Nutcracker this year, and because of my own nostalgia, I put it on hold at the library right away. I've read it with Miss Muffet a couple of times, but she has also enjoyed listening to the ballet and looking through the book on her own. Its text and illustrations are both very preschool-friendly and much more cheerful than a lot of other adaptations.

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry 

I find the rhyme in this book tedious to read aloud, but Miss Muffet has been requesting multiple readings, so I've had to deal with it. In the story, Mr. Willowby orders a Christmas tree which is too tall for his parlor. When he cuts off the top of the tree, it is given to his maid. This smaller portion of the tree is also too tall for the place she has prepared for it, so she cuts off the top, too, and someone else picks it up, setting into a motion a long chain of treetops being removed and recycled. At the end of the book, when the chain finally comes to a happy conclusion, I asked Miss Muffet, who sighed contentedly, what she liked about the book. She said, "They finally stopped cutting off the top!" Evidently, she found this troubling.

Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren , illustrated by Ilon Wikland

This is not a chapter book like others in the series, but a little slice of life picture book about how the families of Noisy Village get ready for Christmas.We read it at bedtime, and Miss Muffet was completely silent the entire time, which is usually a sign of a good story. She wanted to look at the book again the next morning, and asked me if I could name all the kids in the first illustration. Then she wanted me to find the baby, Kerstin, on every page on which she appeared. I am starting to put some of the books away at this point, but I think we'll keep this one around until the end of the twelve days of Christmas.

Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff

My husband has a stuffed animal of Arthur, Babar's cousin, that has been around since he was a kid. Arthur has sort of become a mascot of our family, and we all enjoy looking for him in the Babar books. In this story, Arthur, Pom, Flora, and Alexander are dismayed that Father Christmas never visits the world of elephants, so they send him a letter asking him to come. When they don't get a response, Babar sets out on a quest to find him and discuss the situation face-to-face. This book is really, really long but Miss Muffet's familiarity with the characters and fascination with Santa Claus seemed to help keep her focused.

A Little Child by Jessie Orton Jones and Elizabeth Orton Jones 

When we brought out our creche, I also brought out this book which tells the story of Jesus's birth and childhood using various Bible passages. The illustrations portray a group of children acting out a play based on the text. It does include the Protestant version of the Our Father, which I read as it was printed, and Miss Muffet seemed a little puzzled by the debts and debtors, but otherwise, there was nothing in it that doesn't match the Catholic teachings about Christmas. The only real drawback is that the book is so old, I can't allow Miss Muffet to touch it because it would most likely disintegrate in her hands.

The Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown

I remember reading this book as a child after I already knew how to read independently. I suspected Miss Muffet was a bit young to get the full impact of the story, but I tried it anyway, and it went okay. She missed the fact that there were two cats - the mother, and the kitten - which distracted her from the overall significance of the story, but she listened attentively and seemed interested. I think she will get more out of it as we read it each year.

Pat the Christmas Bunny by Edith Kunhardt 

A conversation with my mom the other night revealed that she had sent this book to us and we had never opened it. So we opened it last night and both girls took an immediate linking to it. Bo Peep is a little bit confused by the difference between touch-and-feel books and scratch-and-sniff books, so she kept trying to sniff the bunny and the wool stocking and pat the candy cane. Miss Muffet became immediately interested in pretending to write her letter to Santa and pulling the toboggan down the hill. This is one of the few books we've read that I think they have both enjoyed equally.

7 Quick Takes is hosted every week by This Ain't the Lyceum.

7 Quick Takes: Advent Reading Round-Up Week 3

At Mass last Sunday, Miss Muffet was really excited about the pink candle being lit, so when it burned out inexplicably almost right away, she was really disappointed. And this burned out candle turned out to be a perfect metaphor for our week of reading. We fell four days behind on our Jesse tree, failed to read books I had specifically set aside for the feasts of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Lucia, and on one day, we didn't read any Christmas books at all. But we made up for it as the week went on, and we did read quite a few titles. Here are the highlights.

Once in Royal David's City by Kathleen Lines and Harold Jones 

Last weekend, we took the girls to a Living Nativity. Before we left the house, we read this book so that Miss Muffet would have some context for what she was about to see. It wound up being the perfect choice, as the language in the book was identical in many places to what was read at the Living Nativity. We will read this book again during the twelve days of Christmas.

The First Noel by Alice and Martin Provensen

The day after the Living Nativity, we used flannel board pieces and stickers to retell the nativity story. To help Miss Muffet remember the story, we read this shorter version taken verbatim from the Bible. 

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola 

I had never read this story before, so I didn't realize the connection to Our Lady of Guadalupe until I saw a post about it on Instagram after the children had gone to sleep for the night on Monday. We read it the next day instead. I wasn't sure Miss Muffet would follow the story, but it was told in such a straightforward and clear style that she did actually seem to absorb most of it, and she reacted with appropriate surprise to the miraculous ending.

Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! by Audrey and Don Wood

I checked this book out of the library because I had never seen it before, but I don't think we will ever borrow it again. The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear is such a great book precisely because the reader is not 100 percent certain there actually is a Big Hungry Bear. To have this sequel all but show us the bear just cheapens the entire concept. (The Woods should just not do sequels. Full Moon at the Napping House was also a big flop.) Unfortunately, Miss Muffet likes it and I have been asked to read it several times.

Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray and Barry Root

I borrowed this as a potential story time title, but found that it was too wordy for my audience, so we just wound up reading it at home. It follows the story of Wilma, a farmer, and her neighbor, a boy named Parker, who works for five years toward the goal of selling Christmas trees. As Parker grows from five to ten years old, so do the trees, and the reader is able to understand in a child's terms just how much work and patience are required to make it possible for people to go out and cut down trees at Christmastime. I loved the story, and the pictures, and Miss Muffet was mesmerized by the entire book. I might actually like to own this one.

Hanna's Christmas by Melissa Peterson 

Though I knew Tuesday was St. Lucia Day, I forgot we owned this book and didn't get to read it until this morning. Miss Muffet seemed a little worried about the tomten ("Why isn't he happy?") but she was interested in the idea of wearing a crown. She also has a friend named Lucia, so she liked making that real-life connection. 

The Story of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola 

Thanks again to Instagram, I learned that Las Posadas starts today, and I read this story to Miss Muffet this morning as well. I'm a little uncomfortable with the fact that this is a fabricated miracle involving Mary and Joseph, as I'm not sure how much fictionalizing we should do of saints who do occasionally appear to people, but the ending did strike a very nice emotional chord for me. Miss Muffet also understood right away what had happened, which was a nice surprise.

7 Quick Takes is hosted every week by This Ain't the Lyceum. 

7 Quick Takes: Advent 2016 Reading Round-Up Week 2

During the second week of Advent, we have continued with our Jesse tree (though we missed Wednesday, and had to double up yesterday), and we're still reading through The Animals' Merry Christmas. Here's what else we've been reading.

Snow in the City by Berta and Elmer Hader

I took out the box of winter books because I needed a book for story time, and I wound up discovering this vintage book about snowstorms in New York City that I'd forgotten we owned. The book begins on Thanksgiving, and follows a family right through the Christmas season and into the new year. There's not much of a story, but it does give a good idea of what it is like to experience snow in an urban area. It also provides interesting contrast to another book by the Haders: The Big Snow, all about the impact of snow on woodland animals.

That's Not My Snowman

Little Bo Peep is really into touch-and-feel books right now, so I pulled this one out of the winter box for her. She especially liked the page about the fuzzy mittens and once we reached that point, she didn't want to read any further because she was too busy feeling the mittens again and again.

The ABCs of Christmas by Jill Howarth

Grandma sent this book for the girls, and we read it a couple of times. The vintage-style illustrations are really eye-catching, and both Miss Muffet and Bo Peep seem to enjoying flipping through it.

Santa Claus Books

On Tuesday, Saint Nicholas Day, I took out all of our Santa Claus books. One was a nice big book (from Grandma again) called Santa Claus (by Rod Green, Carol Wright, Simon Danaher, and Jon Lucas), which has a lot of little pockets and flaps inside it for Miss Muffet to explore. There is way too much text to read aloud in one sitting, but it's something I think she can enjoy when she gets a little older. Our other Santa books were:

• Alphaprints: Ho, Ho, Ho!
• Clackers: Santa
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
• Jolly Old Santa Claus by Alice Leedy Mason
• One Thousand Christmas Beards by Roger Duvoisin
• Santa's Time Off by Bill Maynard

I loved reading The Polar Express aloud, though I think Miss Muffet will appreciate it more in a couple of years. One Thousand Christmas Beards was probably my favorite, followed by Jolly Old Santa Claus, which was also a favorite when I was a kid. Bo Peep, of course, loved stroking Santa's bear in the Alphaprints board book. 

Who Is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate and Ashley Bryan

 

We have many religious Christmas books, and a lot of them are stories of the birth of Jesus, which I like to save for the twelve days of Christmas. But because this book is about the animals preparing for Jesus's arrival - and because we're going to a Living Nativity this weekend - I decided to read this one. Miss Muffet likes that it has so many different animals. I don't think Bo Peep was really listening.

Maple and Willow's Christmas Tree

I had forgotten that I received a review copy of this book, and when I found it in a stack of books in the living room, I shared it with Miss Muffet right away. It's the story of two sisters who are excited to have their first real Christmas tree, but then discover that one of the girls is allergic to pine. When the real true is moved outside, they improvise to make a new indoor tree out of a ladder. I have liked the other books of this series very much, as they are emotional without being sentimental, and this book, though not quite as strong as the others, is a solid holiday story. Depending on how things shape up, I may include it in my Christmas story time this coming week.

Christmas Tree Memories by Aliki 

We put the tree up yesterday, and we'll be adding ornaments over the weekend. I was saving this book for when the tree was up, so I finally pulled it out this morning. I like the concept of the book better than its actual execution. Miss Muffet seemed to understand it better this year than last, and she actually requested to have the book to look at on her own. Interestingly, I keep thinking the illustrator of this book is Anita Lobel. The people look a lot like Lobel's characters, and somehow the art in Aliki's other books seems a lot different from this one.

Seven Quick Takes is hosted weekly by This Ain't the Lyceum.

7 Quick Takes: Advent Reading Round-Up Week 1

Last year, during Advent, I had an elaborate schedule for reading both secular and religious Christmas books, listening to hymns, and reading the Bible stories for the Jesse Tree. I didn't follow it that closely, and halfway through the season, I ended up abandoning most of my plans. This year, I decided to make things more manageable by scheduling only the Jesse tree readings. (I also switched from this set of ornaments, to this one.) Beyond that, all I have done is pull a stack of Christmas and winter-themed books that suit my girls' current ages, from which we are reading one or two per day.

So, in addition to The Catholic Children's Bible, My Baptism Bible Catholic Edition, and Celebrating Advent with the Jesse Tree, which are our sources for Jesse tree readings, we have also read these books this week:

A New Coat for Anna

This story about a little girl who has to wait an entire year for a new winter coat is a good start to Advent, because it establishes that sense of anticipation, and it also shows how the kindness of a series of strangers contributes to Anna's eventual happiness when she receives her coat. In the end, Anna hosts a Christmas party for everyone who helped her mother to make the coat, and she even goes to thank the sheep who provided the wool. Miss Muffet was not old enough to appreciate this book last year, but she did seem to follow the story more closely this year.

Baby's First Christmas

It is not Little Bo Peep's first Christmas, but she loves photographs of everyday objects, so I brought this book out for her anyway. She wouldn't let me tell her the names of most of the objects, as she really just likes to turn pages. Later, when she was not being carefully supervised, she tore into the spine of the book with her teeth and ate some of it. So... the most I can say about this book is that it looked delicious to her.

The Christmas ABC

We have this as an oversized board book, and both Miss Muffet and Bo Peep love it. I would probably call it the favorite of this week. The rhyming text doesn't do a whole lot for me, as it's an alphabet book and there is no cohesive arc, but Eloise Wilkin has been a family favorite since I was a kid, and I do enjoy the illustrations. Bo Peep spent a good part of the week meowing at the book, which I don't fully understand, since there were no cats on the page that prompted her to do that, but she also seemed appropriately interested in Baby Jesus, so that's something.

Deck the Halls

Last year, I tried to have a strict moratorium on Christmas songs and music until Christmas Day, and wound up barely singing or listening to any Christmas music at all.  This year, I have decided to sing more of the traditional songs around the house so the girls have a better chance of learning them. I know it is in the spirit of Advent to build up anticipation, not to celebrate Christmas for a month before the day arrives, but for me, that anticipation is actually strengthened by the music. We played Christmas music all during December when I was a kid, and it just made me want Christmas to come that much more. So... I took out this singable book and taught the girls to sing "Fa la la la la." Even Bo Peep chimed in!

If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! 

I took this out because I think I may use it for a story time about winter in January, and then decided to just sing it to the girls. Bo Peep like it, Miss Muffet was in the throes of a tantrum and chose to scream rather than listen. I have the book out for them to peruse on their own time, however, and both girls have spent time flipping through it. It's not my favorite, but it is a solid story time book, and it's a board book, so it's (relatively) safe for Bo Peep to handle.

Waiting

When this book first came out, my mom thought it might be about waiting for Santa Claus to come. It's not, but it is a book about anticipation, so of course it's a good Advent read! My mom gave me a copy of my own for last year, and I usually keep it in a cabinet where little hands can't rip the jacket and stain the pages, but for the sake of Advent, I pulled it out and we'll be reading it sometime today.

The Animals' Merry Christmas

Lastly, we are slowly reading our way through this collection, one story at a time. I counted last night and found out there are actually 18 total stories and poems in here, so we may need to step it up a little, since there are other collections I also want us to get to,  but it's been nice to have a short two- or three-page story to read each night.

Seven Quick Takes is hosted every week by This Ain't the Lyceum.