Saturday, December 22, 2012

Day Twenty-Two: playing a little Advent catch-up . . . . .


Well. so once again my Advent has gotten away from me, and I am sorry.  So let me hurry and catch you up with the cool Advent books that I have been discovering this past week.


 

On December 18, the calendar door opened to show us The Nativity, with illustrations by Ruth Sanderson.  The text comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but the lush pictures are so gorgeous!  This is a great way to share the true Christmas story!


Day 19 of the Advent calendar was a day when we were wishing for snow around here, with very little hope of getting any.  So that was a perfect day for Snowmen at Christmas.  This cute book shows us what snowmen do at night during the Christmas season -- while we are all asleep.  This is a holiday-themed sequel to Snowmen at Night, which may be a fun choice for families that do not celebrate Christmas, but who still wonder -- what do snowmen do at night??


December 20 arrived and so did Ten on the Sled, which is a terrific winter-themed counting book.  The illustrations are so funny as they show us exactly why it is not a good idea to put ten friends on one sled! 


The Advent calendar door opened on Day 21 and I was delighted to find A Bit of Applause for Mrs. Claus, because I've always thought she doesn't get enough credit.  To tell the truth, I kind of identify with Santa's wife, who keeps things running smoothly at the North Pole while Santa gets all the glory.


 Today, I want to share with you another of Tomie de Paola's wonderful Christmas stories.  He has written and illustrated so many that it would be hard to choose a favorite, but The Birds of Bethlehem is absolutely one to treasure.  In this tale, the birds of the little town gather for breakfast and discuss all of the unusual happenings:  so many visitors!  And a star shining brightly in the night sky; and angels singing to the shepherds.  What can it all mean?  This is a great read-aloud book!


 



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