A New Years Deal

Well, we sort of fell of the "December Book-a-Day" bandwagon, didn't we? We had such good intentions but underestimated the amount of items on our holiday to do lists! But we hope you enjoyed the books and activities we did get a chance to share.

And good news, we're offering a great deal on our products through the new year. Head over to our facebook page to pick up the code! If you're not already a fan, "like" us to get the latest updates and deals.

We'll be back in January with lots of new ideas and activities to share with you.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

December Book-a-Day 22: It's Christmas, David!

Book

David's at it again in It's Christmas, David! This time he's trying to peek at presents and steal cookies. And of course we'll find nakey David running down the street again, this time in boots and mittens! Be warned if you intend to read this to a school class that David also discovers the fun of writing his name in the snow- with urine. But it's a laugh out loud read with hilarious illustrations and I'm betting your little ones will get a kick out of it. 

Activity

Make a David ornament. Templates and examples from Scholastic.

December Book-a-Day 21: The Polar Express

For the first time since I was a student, I'm enjoying a snow day. Although today would be my last pick for a snow day. I have Christmas presents to give the kids and we didn't get to wrap up any of our Christmas activities. No Christmas tree crafts, no gingerbread cookies. :( And today we were going to read The Polar Express!


Book

I'm not a huge fan of the movie, but I do love this book. Chris Van Allsburg's illustrations create such a magical world!
On the publisher's website you can find a slew of activities, including a Christmas count-down. Click on the picture for the day and you can download a little book related activity.

December Book-a-Day 20: Mortimer's Christmas Manger

I absolutely adore little Mortimer but I love him even more after reading Karma Wilson's quote about how she was inspired to write this book. "I was having a bad night. Very bad. I felt alone and small and scared. It occurred me that I wanted to contribute a story of hope and joy to the children—a light to shine in dark times. So I prayed to God to give me a story. I asked for a story that would convince me and others that He loves us and hears us no matter how small or insignificant we feel. Mortimer came along that night. I feel this spunky, little mouse is the answer to my prayer."

Book

Mortimer the mouse is tired of living under the stairs and takes off in the house to find a nicer place to sleep. He's delighted to find a little bed just his size in the family Christmas decorations: the Christmas manger! But after hearing the family share the special story of the Nativity, Mortimer realizes his manager already belongs to somebody very important. But not to worry, he will still find a home of his very own. Mortimer's Christmas Manger is a story sure to fill your heart with the Christmas spirit.

Activity

Make a little manger (just Mortimer's size!) out of a toilet paper tube. Find the directions here. If you're feeling really ambitious there's directions here for making the entire creche!

Totally Tots also has a bunch of nativity themed activities that would be fun for preschoolers to do.

December Book-a-Day 19: Humphrey's First Christmas

I was infatuated by the cover of this book, but by the time I'd finished reading it was true love.


Book

If you ever spent any amount of time in the company of camels, they're quick to let you know how cantankerous they are. Humphrey is no different. He's lost his blanket and is rather indignant to be the only one left out in the cold. It's lucky, then, that his master gets him a new one. When he reaches his destination, he's so overcome by wonder that he gives his new blanket to the baby Jesus.

As you can probably surmise, this isn't a classroom book, but if you have little ones at home Humphrey's First Christmas is an entertaining and endearing way to focus on the true meaning of the season.

Activity

You can find all sorts of camel related crafts on artistshelpingchildren.org. Who knew there were so many ways to make your own camel! My preference is to the easier cut-and-fold variety of project.

You could even use a scrap of fabric to give your chilly camel his own blanket. And if you scale the project right, your camel could take his blanket as a gift to your household manger scene.

December Book-a-Day 18: Snowmen at Christmas

Buried in a winter wonderland, yet? It hasn't been too bad in Utah, but there is definitely enough snow for a snow man.
Book

Snowmen at Christmas tackles the deep question: how do snowmen celebrate the holiday? Like the original Snowmen at Night, Carlayn and Mark Buehner (from Utah!) give us a little peak at the goings on of our icy friends.

Activity

To make your snow people look a little more like their storybook counterparts, add some rosy cheeks! Martha Stewart shares the tip of using a spray bottle and some red food coloring. Although, I imagine if children are doing this you'll end up with sunburned snowmen at the end!

December Book-a-Day 17: Olive, the Other Reindeer

Olive, the Other Reindeer is one of my favorite Christmas books for the sweet story and darling illustrations. My students always got such a kick out of the pun in the title. Did you know there's a pop up edition and an Olive the Other Reindeer pop-up advent calendar? So cute!

Book

While listening to "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" on the radio, poor Olive gets confused by the line, "All of the other reindeer..." and decides she must be a reindeer rather than a dog! She makes her way to the North Pole to offer her assistance to Santa. But she ends up saving the day when Santa's bag gets a hole, dropping presents and candy that only Olive is able to find. What a helpful reindeer, er- dog!

Activity

Here's a quick and easy Christmas craft that won't take all day to finish. Candy Cane Reindeer.

December Book-a-Day 16: Llama Llama Holiday Drama

My students (and perhaps their teacher) have reached the point of December where they're tired of all the hustle and bustle of preparing and are ready to do some celebrating. I think we could all use a little Christmas break. Little Llama can sympathize...

Book

Llama Lllama Holiday Drama is the newest of the Llama Llama books. There are only so many shopping trips, wrapping sessions, and decorating tasks poor little Llama can endure until it's just too much!


This isn't the best of the Llama books, but it still makes a fun holiday read. I'm sure most little ones feel the same frustration at some point during the Christmas madness! After all, how many stores should a kid be expected to visit without having some sort of melt down?

Activity

Couldn't we all use a holiday time-out right about now? Curl up with a good book or two and enjoy a pleasantly low-key Christmas moment.

I feel calmer just thinking about it!

December Book-a-Day 15: The Legend of the Poinsettia

Book

The Legend of the Poinsettia is one of Tomie dePaolo's wonderful Christmas stories. This description from Booklist tells the story better than I can. "In this legend from Mexico, a little girl, Lucinda, is proud to help her mother weave a new blanket for the Baby Jesus to be used in a Christmas procession. But when Lucinda's mother takes ill, Lucinda tangles the yarn and is unable to complete the blanket. Feeling she has ruined Christmas, Lucinda is reluctant to go to the procession until a mysterious old woman appears from the shadows and tells Lucinda, "Any gift is beautiful because it is given. Whatever you give, the Baby Jesus will love because it comes from you." Nervously, Lucinda grabs an armful of weeds, which she brings into the church. As she prays, the weeds open into dazzling red flowers that decorate the altar."

Activity

Make a paper poinsettia using these directions.

December Book-a-Day 14: A Merry Little Christmas

Book

In her iconic style, Mary Engelbreit gives us A Merry Little Christmas. It's a rhyming account of the little mouse family's Christmas preparations--from A to Z. The illustrations are full of colorful details. It's a cheery holiday read!

Activity

List letters from A-Z on a sheet of paper. Can you think of your own Christmas related word that fits each letter? Or print out this coloring sheet that doubles as an advent calendar. Color a letter each day until the big day arrives.

December Book-a-Day 13: Reindeer Christmas

Book
 
Reindeer Christmas tells the store of a cold December night when two young children and their grandmother stumble across a tired, lost deer in the forest. They bring the deer home to feed and take care of it. In the morning the deer is gone before they wake. On Christmas morning they find a note from Santa thanking them for taking care of one of his lost reindeer and subsequently saving Christmas! Santa's note accompanies a present: magic reindeer glow which will grant one special wish. 

Activity

Make Reindeer Food. When sprinkled on your lawn, the smell of the oatmeal and the glow of the glitter will guide Santa's reindeer to your house on Christmas Eve.

December Book-a-Day 12: When Santa Lost his Ho! Ho! Ho!

Book

When Santa Lost his Ho! Ho! Ho! Poor Santa has lots his laugh and the North Pole is frantically trying every possible remedy to find it. But nothing they try makes works to make Santa laugh again. Children all over the world send Santa their funniest pictures and luckily little Holly's photo is just what Santa needs to find his Ho! Ho! Ho!

Activity

Write Santa a letter with ideas for finding his Ho! Ho! Ho!

December Book-a-Day 11: The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet

The story of the Nutcracker is a ubiquitous, but delightful, part of December.

Book

The original book, published by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, is much darker than the familiar ballet. There are curses to break, a seven-headed mouse king to defeat, nightmares, and extortion. The ballet follows the basic outline of the book's plot, but leaves out much of the disturbing back story.

Several picture books retell the friendlier and more popular Tchaikovsky ballet version. My grandmother gave me a copy of Deborah Hautzig's book in the 80s--my first introduction to the Nutcracker.

I loved reading it as a little girl, and I love reading it to my class every year. While there are many other retellings available this is my favorite for two reasons:
1) the text is brief! There's nothing worse than trying to do a read-aloud with a wordy book!
2) Diane Goode's illustrations are delightful marzipan confections.

Activity

One of my favorite post-reading activities is to have the kids dance!


Years ago, I came across a creative dance lesson using the Waltz of the Snowflakes music. I don't remember the source and no search engines have been able to help me track it down. You can download a copy of it here and if you happen to know the original author, please let me know!

December Book-a-Day 10: The Jolly Christmas Postman

This is a book we love to use in our Christmas Around the World celebrations when we talk about England, where the tradition of Christmas cards began.

Book

In The Jolly Christmas Postman, the Postman is out on his bicycle delivering Christmas cards. First stop Baby Bear who receives a card from Goldilocks. Next a "hazardous board game" card from Mr. Wolf for Red Riding Hood. Then a jigsaw puzzle is delivered to Humpty Dumpty in the hospital. On the Postman continues until his last stop where he delivers many children's letters to the home of Santa and Mrs. Claus. And what a treat, they have a postcard for the Postman himself! The illustrations are charming and your kids are sure to love the large postcards and letters that come out of the envelopes throughout the book. The rhyming text makes for an especially enjoyable read-aloud.

Activity

Let your little ones send out some Christmas cards or postcards of their own to some special loved ones. They could easily design one themselves or use one of the free printable ones from here.

December Book-a-Day 9: Russell's Christmas Magic

If, like me, you think some of the best parts of Christmas are lights and glitter, then this book is for you!

Book
Russell's Christmas Magic tells how the little sheep helps Santa when his sleigh is wrecked. The story is sweet, but it's the illustrations that really shine!

This might be the most well-lit story I know!

Afterward, try the activity from teachertreasures.com. Have students brainstorm a list of things that shine at Christmas. Add some adjectives and you've got electric poetry!

December Book-a-Day 8: I'll Be Home For Christmas (Toot & Puddle)

Do you know Toot and Puddle? They are two of the most lovable storybook characters you'll ever meet. If the story isn't darling enough, Holly Hobbie's intricate and witty illustrations will leave you smiling.

Book

 

In I'll Be Home For Christmas, Toot is out traveling the world while Puddle is preparing for Christmas at home in Woodcock Pocket. No matter what winter weather may try to delay him, Toot is determined to return home to his buddy in time for Christmas. It's the Toot's lucky nut, given to him by his aunt in Scotland, that helps save the day in the end.


Activity

A fun craft to go along with this book is making Good Fortune Walnuts. It is a Victorian tradition to hang gilded walnuts containing fortunes on the tree.