Day Eight of The Twelve Days of Christmas with Thoughtful Eating

In celebration of the upcoming holidays I thought there could be nothing better than sharing my favorite bloggers with my favorite readers! For the next twelve days I’ll be sharing posts written by my favorite bloggers about their favorite holiday reads. From food bloggers to book bloggers each one is one I’ve long loved reading and know you’ll enjoy as well. So sit back and enjoy!

As the end of my Twelve Days of Christmas draws near I’m even more reflective and grateful for all of the bloggers & friends I’ve made this year. Day eight’s featured blogger is no exception, though I’m almost positive I’ve know her for a bit longer than a year now. Raquelle has quickly become one of my closest friends and her blogs are something I love sharing with my friends who love good food and classic movies. Her food blog, Thoughtful Eating, is a huge source of inspiration for our family; we’ve tried & loved a number of her recipes! And take a trip back in time through Raquelle’s brilliant classic film blog, Out of the Past. Again, Raquelle is one of those close friends I feel fortunate to have met through my book blogging and she continues to be someone I turn to for inspiration and support. It’s wonderful! So, without further hesitation on my part, Raquelle from Thoughtful Eating and Out of the Past…

I wasn’t raised with Christmas as a child. Both of my parents are from other countries and for cultural and religious reasons the quintessential American style of Christmas was not something I grew up with. However, living in the U.S., Christmas was inescapable and although I didn’t read Christmas books as a child, I was well familiar with many Christmas stories. As an adult, there are a few children’s books about and/or related to Christmas that really touch my heart. I was really attracted to several themes in these stories including goodwill towards mankind, being kind and generous to others, finding or having joy, and being imaginative and resourceful. The stories I love the most are the ones without Santa Clause, elves, or reindeer but with families, friends and neighbors. Here are four of my very favorite Christmas books for children.

First up is the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. In stories for children, I think opposite characters work really well. In A Christmas Carol you have Ebenezer Scrooge; an older wealthy man, who wants for nothing, runs his own business, has a mansion and doesn’t have to worry about where his next meal will come from. Then you have the opposing character of Tiny Tim; a younger boy, one of many children in a very poor family, although he is crippled and may not live to see adulthood, he is rich in what Ebenezer Scrooge isn’t: love and joy. Scrooge’s bah humbug and Tiny Tim’s optimism even in dire circumstances and how those characteristics clash with each other is the basis of the story. Kids, along with Ebenezer Scrooge, learn how sad a life of greediness, loneliness and selfishness can be. And while it took Scrooge a lifetime to learn the error of his ways, kids can learn the message of optimism, joy and goodwill just by reading this classic tale. Even in the midst of increasingly commercial Christmases, I hope this classic book keeps being read so people remember the true purpose of the holiday. While I have a few editions of the book, my favorite has to be the hardcover illustrated by Irish artist P.J. Lynch. It’s a highly treasured tome in my home library.

The next two stories aren’t about Christmas but they do make me think of it nonetheless. As a young teenager, I discovered a love for Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It didn’t hurt that I was raised in New England and had a love for history. While Little Women is not about Christmas, it does start off with the holiday. The four sisters are making presents for each other. It’s a lean time as their father is away at war. They prepare a Christmas meal, one they’ve been anticipating for a while because their usual meals are not decadent. However, instead of enjoying the meal as planned, they give the whole meal away to another family, in more dire straits then they are. Their self-sacrifice and willingness to show kindness to others, even when they were in a bad situation themselves, always touched me.

The third book I’d like to talk about is The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. This is a book I discovered when I was working at a Barnes & Noble during my college years. During the Christmas season, I picked up a copy and looked through it and to my surprise there were no words inside, just illustrations. I hadn’t known that wordless picture books existed. Although most people are familiar with the film or versions of the book with words added, the original book has over 170 illustrations, no text and no Santa Claus or North Pole. It’s a story about a young boy who becomes friends with a Snowman. The story is about friendship, empathy and imagination.
What I like most about this story is that there are no words. It transcends language. It’s a book you could hand to a child anywhere in the world and they would be able to read it.

The fourth and last book is probably one you are not familiar with although you may recognize the main character. Maisy’s Snowy Christmas Eve by Lucy Cousins is out of print but if you could find yourself a copy online, preferably with the CD, get it! Maisy is a beloved cartoon mouse who has various adventures with her animal friends. In Maisy’s Snowy Christmas Eve, all of Maisy’s friends are going to Maisy’s house for a Christmas party. Everyone is there except Eddie the Elephant. They go out in the snow to search for him and find that he is stuck in a big mound of snow. They help get him out, bring him back to Maisy’s house where they can all celebrate Christmas together. Oh how I love to sing the praises of this book. The very simple illustrations are child friendly. I love the main message of friendship and inclusion. Eddie didn’t show up to the party, so did the friends get mad at him or forget about him? NO! Each friend is important in this story and no one is left out. Kindness towards friends is a great message this book has. I know as a child, I often felt left out. I would have loved to have friends like these. If you manage to get yourself a copy of the book with CD, you will be delighted by an audio recording of the actress Jane Horrocks reading the book which appears on the CD attached. Horrocks has a charming Lancashire accent and she’s best known for her performances in Absolutely Fabulous (as Bubbles), Chicken Run (as Babs – “I don’t want to be a pie! I don’t like gravy!”) and The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard. Her voice is child friendly and fun and I love how she says the word “snow”. It’s quite a delight.

I hope next time you are looking for a good Christmas story for a child that you’ll think of one of these four books and spread the message of goodwill towards others, friendship and joy.