Snowmen’s Twelve Nights of Christmas
Author: Caralyn Buehner
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Summary: You will not be reading this fun version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, you will be singing along with the snowmen, snow animals and Santa!
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: Be sure to point out the alliterative word pairings as you are singing along with this hilarious version of the classic Christmas carol!
Extension Activities: After a lesson on alliteration, have students write their own version of the Snowman's Twelve Days of Christmas, keeping with the snowman theme. Create a book with your students' work for your classroom library! Click here!
Santa Bruce
Author: Ryan T. Higgens
Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgens
Summary: Grumpy Bruce is back! It's Christmas and Bruce does not want to celebrate. He wants to hibernate and be left alone. But the geese and mice have other ideas and a case of mistaken identity has a hilarious ending!
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: Bruce is such a grump and grumbles about having to participate in anything to do with Christmas and Santa. We all have to sometimes do tasks we may feel grumpy about, but it is important to try to do them anyway, and with a happy heart. Brainstorm tasks that they might not like to do, and ways to be cheerful about doing what is asked of them.
Extension Activities: Follow the link below for some fun Grumpy Bruce activities! Click here!
The Amazing Christmas Extravangaza
Author: David Shannon
Illustrator: David Shannon
Summary: What happens when your Christmas decorations outside of your house go crazy? A fun cautionary tale of a father who just wants to celebrate Christmas in a big, annoying way!
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: This charming story of decorating gone nuts is perfect to help strengthen your students' cause and effect skills. The word extravaganza is fun to say and may be one that they are not familiar with. A good discussion of empathy, selfishness, and not thinking through decisions can be helpful.
Extension Activities: Have your students work in teams to design and create a neighborhood that becomes a Christmas extravaganza. They could choose to draw, paint or build their neighborhood with found treasures! Click here!
The Legend of old Befana
Author: Tomie DePaola
Illustrator: Tomie DePaola
Summary: This is the sweet retelling of the Italian legend of Befana..the old lady who bakes and sweeps all day and goes following the star looking for the Christ child.
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: There are numerous legends and traditions of Christmas around the world and through different religions. The Legend of Old Befana reminds us that there are so many ways that Christmas is celebrated.
Extension Activities: Once a year, on the night of January 5, Befana is said to leave her home to deliver toys for the good children and coal for the naughty children. This is one legend that tells of the Christmas traditions in a different country. Using online resources, see what other traditions are associated with The Legend Of Old Befana. Have children choose a country, research its' Christmas traditions and put their findings on a slide, using Google slides, Keynote or a program of your choice to share with the class." Click here!
The Animals' Santa
Author: Jan Brett
Illustrator: Jan Brett
Summary: It's Little Snow Rabbit's first Christmas. The animals in the forest tell him all about the animals' Santa and he is very excited when he wakes in the morning!
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: Jan Brett is famous for researching the culture, animals and environment of each of the countries that are the setting of her stories. The detail in each of the pictures is amazing and can help your students predict what will happen next in the story.
Extension Activities: This book would be a perfect jumping off point for a quick study of the different kinds of woodland animals. Use the book to identify the animals and choose one to research. Follow the link to the blog for some fun woodland animal crafting ideas! Click here!
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