Making a (reading) list

Six new children’s books to enjoy this holiday season

If your family is like mine, certain holiday storybooks come out once a year to savor. Maybe you also like to give books to an eager reader or reader-to-be. We’ve selected six new titles that celebrate Christmastime, winter, traditions and the season of giving.

‘Tough Cookie’ Written and illustrated by Edward Hemingway (Henry Holt, $17.99), ages 4-8

In this sweet, silly twist on the classic gingerbread man tale, Hemingway (youngest grandson of Ernest Hemingway) takes readers on a journey through Christmastown, where Fox helps the not-verysweet Sugar Cookie Man find where he belongs. Adults and children will enjoy looking for their favorite smiling, anthropomorphic cupcake and cookie characters, and adults will snicker at their visits to the gated community of “Cookie Cutter” and the Christmastown Spa.

‘The Snowy Nap’ Written and illustrated by Jan Brett (Putnam, $18.99), ages 4-8

As Hedgie rambles around the farm headed for his long winter’s nap, animals tease him about all the fun he’s going to miss. What child who has ever fought bedtime for fear of missing out can’t identify? So with the help of a girl named Lisa, the hedgehog gets to have fun from a cozy spot on a windowsill. Brett’s rich watercolor and gouache illustrations evoke coziness and lively barnyard fun.

‘The Broken Ornament’

Jack can’t get enough of Christmas and helps his parents trim the tree — until he doesn’t listen to his mother and accidentally breaks an heirloom ornament. He gets help from a fairy named Tinsel, who evokes fantastical holiday scenes in the family’s living room with the wave of a sprig of mistletoe. She shows him the value of family traditions and holidays past and gives Jack the perfect idea to make things right. This story perfectly weaves together the stresses, nostalgia and magic experienced by many families during the holiday season.

‘Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas’ By Kimberly and James Dean; illustrated by James Dean (HarperCollins, $12.99), ages 4-8

Sleepy-eyed Pete the Cat strikes again, this time, in the 12 groovy days of a cartoonish road trip to the sea. Each day gets sillier as Pete picks up more passengers, and it ends in a rollicking ugly-Christmassweater beach party. This story is a quick, silly hit that will get kids giggling and singing along.

‘Little Christmas Tree’ Written and illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle (Big Picture Press, $15.99), ages 2-5

The pages of this lift-the-flap book with foil-accented digital illustrations could stand up as holiday decor on their own. Each page depicts a new, snowy scene in the winter woods, with animals and plants hiding behind the cardboard flaps. Some flaps are a little tricky to find, which can add to the surprise. A simple, rhyming verse on each page enhances the striking, sparkling displays and flap-lifting fun.

‘My Little Gifts: A Book of Sharing’

A little girl opens presents for an unspecified holiday and learns that gifts don’t necessarily come in wrapped boxes. Each page includes a flap or multiple flaps to open, adding to the surprise and lessons. Presents can be shared and taught and handmade. They can even come in the form of kind words, a soft touch or shared knowledge. When the girl learns about bees at school, she comes home to tell her sister, Lili. “Lili asks for more, more, more! I feel like the queen bee! Knowledge is a gift as sweet as honey.” This book teaches valuable lessons for older children and even adults.

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