I cannot believe that we are already onto December this year! December is special for various reasons – December signals the onset of winter, which ranges from mild to severe depending on which part of the country one resides in, and thus is touted as one of the best times for travel around tropical destinations.

1. Book Recommendations: Christmas
Stories for your Children
Divya Purandar is a practising advocate, wife to an IT professional and mom
to an eight year old brat. She began blogging at One Story a Day: Reliving
Childhood while living in the US as she was fascinated by the world of
children’s books. The blog gave her a platform to share her reading
adventures while offering a brief review of the book in question. She has also
reviewed children’s books for other parenting blogs and forums. What started
out as a penning down of reading experiences with her little one has turned
into a journey of self discovery and a sounding board for Divya’s parental
musings.
For ParentEdge, Divya will be reviewing and recommending different kinds of
children’s books.
I cannot believe that we are already onto December this year! December is
special for various reasons – December signals the onset of winter, which
ranges from mild to severe depending on which part of the country one
resides in, and thus is touted as one of the best times for travel around
tropical destinations. December is a month to reflect on the events in the year

2. that has gone by, and may be plan for what’s to be in store in the year ahead!
Well, December also is a time to get into the spirit of Christmas and lose
oneself in its trappings. Whether one celebrates Christmas or not at home,
you cannot miss the season’s specialties – the carol singing at a near-by
church or at a neighbour’s house, star mounted houses, malls and restaurants
with Christmas decorations, sinful Christmas treats galore at bakeries or Santa
sightings that excite not just the little ones – the fa-la-la fun is everywhere!!!
So how about a few Christmas reads to get warmed up for the Christmas
season?
For 3-6 year olds
Besides the regular Christmas reads such as “The Sweet Smell of Christmas”
by Patricia Scarry or “The Night before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore or
“The Polar Express” Chris Van Allsburg or any of the Christmas specials with
popular children’s books’ characters, I came across the vintage Little Golden
book series on Christmas stories brought out by Random House Publications.
With as many as six titles centered around Christmas, this series is ideal for
younger kids to get acquainted with the story of how Christ was born in a
stable in Bethlehem in “The Christmas Story” by Jane Werner and Eloise Wilken,
or the story of the dark horse reindeer named Rudolph who became Santa’s
guiding light in “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Rick Bunsen and
Arkadia, or a story with a Disney twist in“Disney’s Mickey Mouse Flies the
Christmas Mail” by Annie North Bedford, and the story of how animals
welcomed baby Jesus in “Animals’ Christmas Eve” by Gale
Wiersum and Alexandra Steel Morgan. This classic series throws light on the
spirit and meaning of Christmas with the aid of poetic texts and simple yet
charming illustrations that are sure to engage your little one!
For 7-12 year olds
If you are looking for a Christmas read for older kids who read by themselves,
then “Cool Christmas stories” compiled by Elizabeth Holland is a worth a look.
This book includes Christmas stories by Sam Hay, Dyan Sheldon and Martin
Waddell. While some of the stories seem to thrive on traditional seasonal

3. trappings like Santa sliding down the chimney to fill up the stockings with
gifts, or the concept of Man on the Moon, things I feel the young readers may
have outgrown, the stories however do make an interesting read. The book
can also double up as a read-aloud, if you have an emergent reader not yet
comfortable with devouring a chapter book on his own. Though minimal, the
illustrations are whacky enough to make our jaded and skeptical younger
generation take notice! Stories such as the hilarious fantasy-within-a-fantasy
adventure of Santa facing trouble during the delivery of gifts in “Troublesome
year for Father Christmas” by Sally Grindley, or the story of a young girl whose
persistence gets her parents to give in and almost celebrate Christmas in “Not
quite Christmas” by Dyan Sheldon, the daring story of a girl spreading the
warmth and cheer of Christmas that wins over a fire-spitting dragon
in “Imelda and the Dragon” by Martin Waddell or the realistic take on the
reason behind Stagger, one of Santa’s reindeers, being Santa’s weakest link
in “The Clumsy Reindeer” by Elizabeth Holland, are all sure to make it a cool
Christmas vacation for young readers this year! So here’s wishing everyone a
merry Christmas and happy holidays in advance!!
Bio: Divya Purandar is a practising advocate, wife to an IT professional and
mom to an eight year old brat. She began blogging at One Story a Day:
Reliving Childhood./ while living in the US as she was fascinated by the world
of children’s books. The blog gave her a platform to share her reading
adventures while offering a brief review of the book in question. She has also
reviewed children’s books for other parenting blogs and forums. What started
out as a penning down of reading experiences with her little one has turned
into a journey of self discovery and a sounding board for Divya's parental
musings. Also see more info @ http://www.parentedge.in/blog