Way Back Wednesday – Christmas Style #3

A Magical Christmas is a lovely story written in rhyme.  Little Mouse wants to know what exactly is the magic of Christmas.  In order to find the answer he goes and asks each member of his family, but each family member has a different answer.  Finally on Christmas Day Mommy Mouse shares with Little Mouse that all the answers were correct because…”The magic is love, Little Mouse.”

The illustrations in this book are particularly noteworthy.  They are simply beautiful.  Each page includes sections that are gently enhanced with glitter which truly bring the illustrations to life.

Way Back Wednesday – Christmas Style

Throughout the month of December, I will be re-sharing some of our family’s  favorite Christmas books that have previously been featured on the blog.

Today I am happy to re-introduce Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh.

Olive, the Other Reindeer is a delight.  Olive is really a dog, but she becomes confused while listening to Christmas music as she is wrapping presents.  Rather than hearing about: “…all of the other reindeer…”, Olive hears her own version of the lyrics: “Olive, the other reindeer…”.  Although she was certain she was a dog, Olive doesn’t want to disappoint Santa, and she immediately heads to the North Pole.  Before long, it is clear that Santa really does need the special skills that only Olive can provide.

Rupert Can Dance – Jules Feiffer

Rupert Can Dance is a fun story about a little girl who loves to dance.  To her surprise, her cat Rupert loves to dance too.  She discovers his dancing ways by chance, and Rupert is not pleased when Mandy attempts to give him lessons so he can improve his skills.  Rupert is a cat, and he has no interest in being trained as if he is a dog.  Mandy takes some time to develop a plan and ultimately is able to bring out the dancing fun in herself and Rupert.

The Bumpy Little Pumpkin

The Bumpy Pumpkin is an extremely sweet tale about a little girl who thinks a small bumpy pumpkin would make the perfect jack-o-lantern.  Her sisters do not agree and are quick to tell her that the pumpkin she wants is too small, too bumpy, and too ugly to be any good.  Left alone and feeling sad, she is soon greeted by a number of animal friends who understand the beauty she sees in the small bumpy pumpkin.  They help her transform the pumpkin into a darling jack-o-lantern.  Ultimately, Little Nell and her sisters realize that jack-o-lanterns can come in all shapes and sizes.

Ninja Red Riding Hood – Corey Rosen Schwartz

Ninja Red Riding Hood is a cute retelling of the original Little Red Riding Hood story featuring a martial arts twist. When huffing and puffing are not enough anymore, the Big Bad Wolf decides to take a martial arts class.  Unfortunately for him, he is not the only one who has taken a class or two.  It seems that Little Red and her grandmother have as well.  This silly fractured fairy tale is a cute story featuring “girl power”.