Connect with family through holiday stories
Gathering together for a story is a holiday tradition in many families.
For Roseanne Gauthier, reading ’Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve brought her family together, cuddled up on the couch each year, even as they got older.
This year, though families may not be able to come together in person, stories can still be a great way to connect over the holidays, said the youth services librarian with the P.E.I. Public Library Service.
“When someone is telling stories, they’re creating an experience for you to enjoy and it’s a way to tell somebody you care about them.”
She has continued to see people trying to use stories to bridge the physical gaps between them and loved ones. Grandparents have been coming in looking for things to read to their grandchildren on Zoom, she said.
“I think one of the silver linings that we’ve seen in some of the separations that people have had to go through this year has been how creatively people have been able to respond to not being in the same room with the people they love.”
Listening to a story being read benefits kids in more ways than connecting with loved ones.
First, they get to be entertained. They also get to listen to language and learn, while discussing the pictures and events in the story can help them look at situations from a different perspective, said Gauthier.
“I really think stories are powerful that way, that they really give you an eye into another experience.”
Beyond tradition, stories can be windows into other cultures, something important to think about when
there are holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
“Storytelling is a really wonderful way that you can learn about how different holidays are celebrated around the world.”
Books aren’t the only way to tell stories, though. Talking about the past and hearing stories from before they were born can be a way for kids to learn more about their parents and family members. It can also give them the opportunity to hear stories of their own past.
“Everything can be a family moment and everything can be a literacy moment if you’re looking for those things,” she said.
“I think this year especially, what people are really interested in is connection ... and I really hope that people are able to find something on that list that helps strengthen those connections in your own family.”
READ AT HOME
Roseanne Gauthier provided this list, broken down for different age groups, that she thinks might help people looking for new stories to tell this winter.
Ages six to 12
• Seven spools of thread: a Kwanzaa story, written by Angela Shealf Medearis and illustrated by Daniel Minter
• The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold, written by Maureen Fergus and illustrated by Cale Atkinson
• The Lotterys More or Less, by Emma Donoghue Ages three to five
• Bear Stays up for Christmas, written and illustrated by Karma Wilson
• A Porcupine in a Pine Tree: a Canadian 12 Days of Christmas, written by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Werner Zimmermann
• Snowmen at Christmas, written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner
• The Crayons’ Christmas, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Babies
• Hannukah Lights, written by David Martin and illustrated by Melissa Sweet
• Fa La La, written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli
• Little Blue Truck’s Christmas, written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurray