TWO CHRISTMAS PICTURE BOOKS, TWO GIVEAWAYS

Following up on last week's blog, I have two more picture books for you from Sleeping Bear Press for presents for a little reader in your life. Enjoy!

REVIEWS

MISS MARY'S CHRISTMAS MITTENS 

Written by Trinka Hakes Noble and illustrated (so very colorfully!) by Renee Andriani. 

This opening page sets the tone for the entire book:

Just before Christmas vacation, the first snow fell.

On her way to school, Miss Mary tested the snow for good packing.

She designed amazing snowmen and snow angels in her head. 

Excitedly, Miss Mary gave her students an extra long recess. 

Their little cold hands were frozen--nobody had any mittens!

Miss Mary would take care of that.

What was Miss Mary going to do? Her students needed mittens!

On the way home from school a piece of yarn from her hat came loose. That gave her an idea. She ran home and started unraveling her hat, scarf, and gloves.

Miss Mary worked at night--winding balls of yarn--and the next day she started knitting. With only two days before Christmas, she had to hurry!

Finally, she was done! She delivered her gifts to each student and on Christmas, her students were seen all over town--building snowmen, making snow angels, and helping to shovel snow. 

But the best thing of all appeared in Miss Mary's front yard.

Her students spelled out, "We love our Mittens in the snow outside her door.

Miss Mary's Christmas Mittens is more than a Christmas book. It's a story about a teacher's generosity and what it looks like when a person put others' needs before her own. And although the book revolves around an adult, (contrary to popular recommendations to writers that the protagonist must always be a child) Miss Mary is kid-like in her imaginings about playing in the snow. Plus, she had a problem and solved it in a very unique way. 

Back matter includes instructions on making a mitten ornament.

CHRISTMAS WITH AUNTIE

Written by Helen Foster James and with endearing illustrations by Petra Brown, this is the latest book in this family love series (my title!). I have reviewed Welcome to the World, Daddy Loves You in previous blogs. Every picture celebrates love within a family. 

Here is the opening page which invites Auntie into the rabbit's home and the reader into the bunny family:

We go together like ribbons and bows,

holly and jolly,

and tickles and toes.

 

Together, Auntie and bunny do make crafts, bake, decorate the Christmas tree, and make snow bunnies.

Family and friends with holiday wishes.

Mistletoe comes with big hugs and kisses.

Sugarplum sweetie, on this merry night,

we'll wish on a star and its twinkling light.

The book includes a place where the child's aunt can write a note as well as a place for a picture of the two of them.

GIVEAWAY

Miss Mary's Mittens belongs in every school library and every aunt needs a copy of Christmas With Auntie.  If you are a librarian you will get an extra chance for Mittens and if you're an aunt, you get an extra chance for Christmas With Auntie. If you're both--I'll put your name into both giveaways. Just make sure you tell me in the comments who you are and what book you want. Please leave your name and email address if you are new to my blog. The giveaway ends November 30th.

Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won Monster in the Briny, and to Emily Weitz who won Pirates Don't Dance from last week's blog.

Daddy, Can You See the Moon? A Review and Picture Book Giveaway

Congratulations to Vijaya Bodach who won ONE WEEK OF YOU from last week's blog and to Gretchen Griffith who won A SONG FOR GWENDOLYN BROOKS. 

In Daddy Can You See the Moon? (Spork, 2019) a well-written and beautifully illustrated picture book, author, Gayle Krause, sensitively portrays one of war’s harsh realities: a soldier’s devastating injury. 

Krause's rhymes and Carlos de la Garza's illustrations, demonstrate three constants in the story: the moon, love, and courage. Before he leaves to serve, the father says: 

Though I'll be gone 

I have a way 

For us to share 

Part of each day.

At bedtime,  

Look up at the moon 

And I will too. 

I'll be home soon. 

While his father is away, the little boy counts the days and six full moons pass. Until the day his mother hears alarming news:

She sets down her coffee mug and wraps me in a giant hug.

I wipe her tears, and ask, "What's wrong?"

She answers "Son, you must be strong."

Daddy stepped on unsafe ground. His legs were hurt when he was found.

That night the boy looks out his window and fearfully wonders, 

“Daddy...can you see the moon 

Marching in a dream platoon?”

You're marking time at Soldier's Gate 

But I hope that you can wait. 

cause Baby, Ricky, Mom and me, 

We need you in our family.

His father comes home and the little boy helps his father rehabilitate. Courage—is shown, not told--through the text and illustrations. 

Reminiscent of one of my favorite picture books, I’ll Love you Forever, the book goes full circle ending with the boy having grown up and now a soldier looking at the moon. He holds his father’s picture while his father—back home—gazes at the moon too. 

See Kathleen Temean's blog for more information on Gayle's book journey. 

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her book birthday tomorrow, April 9th, and in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child, Gayle is giving away an autographed copy of Daddy, Can You See the Moon? Leave me a comment by April 11 (with your email address if you are new to my blog) and I'll enter your name. If you have a family member in the military or plan to give this to a child whose parent is in the military, I'll enter your name twice.