Our family has very much enjoyed the first Story Orchestra book: Four Seasons in One Day, which features music from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (see my review here).

So I was pretty excited when I saw that there would be another entry in this series: The Nutcracker! I was not disappointed. Like the first book, it features a sturdy cover with bright, textured illustrations, and a back cover that plays quality snippets of music when you press the musical note that corresponds to the correct portion of the cover. In the beginning this can be a bit difficult since you are pressing through all the pages, but it gets easier as it goes. Like the first book, I plan to keep this one up high so my young kids can learn how to treat it properly before they play with it unsupervised.

The story provides busy, colorful illustrations and a narrative that follows the Nutcracker ballet -- from Clara eagerly anticipating her Uncle Drosselmeyer's arrival, to her throwing her slipper at the mouse king to vanquish him (I was glad that part was included!) and being whisked away to the Land of Sweets. Of course, a book can't fully do the ballet justice, but by including small parts of the music, it is able to add to the summary of the text to make it a bit more magical. 

The last page includes a brief bio of Peter Tchaikovsky (whose illustrated form looks suspiciously like Uncle Drosselmeyer -- or vice versa), as well as some additional information about each of the ten segments of music that are featured. This is definitely a holiday treasure, and can help young children appreciate the ballet even before they're old enough to sit through the whole thing.

Scrounged From: Amazon

Format: Hardcover
Author/illustrator: Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Pages: 24
Content Advisory: None

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Walter Wick is the photographer of the I Spy series, first published in 1992. His colorful, busy, intricate photographs of created scenery and cleverly arranged objects have captivated many children (and adults too!) since then, and kept us busy looking for all the hidden objects. No matter how much we look, it seems there are always new details to discover upon a second or third viewing.

His newer series, Can You See What I See?, includes Night Before Christmas, in which the title of each picture is a snippet from Clement Moore's famous poem, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Along with rhyming riddles full of objects to find, we are treated to beautiful, magical photographs featuring (among other things) winter scenery, decorated Christmas cookies, stockings hung by the fire with care, and lastly, the shadow of Saint Nick himself as he stops to deliver presents. 

The anticipation of Christmas is alive and well in this book!

Scrounged From: Our local library

Format: Hardcover
Author/Illustrator: Walter Wick
Pages: 40
Content Advisory: None

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I was pleased to come across The Real Mother Goose Book of Christmas Carols at a flea market (and in good condition, too), because it's a great addition to our Christmas-themed literature. While we have a hymnal or two somewhere, this is a much more accessible way for children to encounter the words to traditional Christmas carols. 

Each carol shows the first verse/chorus with sheet music (hymnal style), while the complete text is included in verse form after that. (I really appreciate this since I don't read music so the words are easier to read this way.) Before the carol text, there is an introduction which describes where the carol is from, and approximately when it was written and by whom (if known). There are a few here whose backstories were familiar to me, but others that I learned about for the first time.

Most of the older, traditional favorites are included here -- Silent Night, What Child is This, O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World, etc. Most are religious in nature but there are a few fun ones (Jingle Bells, Deck the Hall, etc.) that are not. 

It was nice to see some diversity in the people in the illustrations here, which is not something I would have necessarily expected from a Real Mother Goose book (this was published a lot later than the nursery rhyme book though).

My only real complaint is that there are a couple carols here (O Christmas Tree; O Come O Come Emmanuel) which are not the versions I'm used to, and I assume these are simply alternate translations. However, I listen to an awful lot of Christmas music, and I don't think I've yet heard anyone record this version of O Come O Come Emmanuel -- it's too bad a less popular version (again, assuming my experience is typical) was chosen. 

Either way, this is a great book to have if you love traditional Christmas carols, whether you read music or not.

Scrounged From: Our local flea market

Format: Hardcover
Author: Laurence Schorsch
Illustrator: Lynn Adams
Pages: 64
Content Advisory: None

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The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg, is probably the first thing that comes to mind when I think "classic Christmas picture book." I grew up with this book's quiet imagery of light and shadows, and was captivated by the mysterious nature of this train that just shows up at a boy's door on Christmas Eve.

Even after years of knowing how the story goes, I still feel the disappointment in the boy's voice as he talks of losing his present, and his relief at receiving it again the next day.

While I enjoyed the music in the movie adaptation, I don't think it did the book justice -- the book really captures the wonder and anticipation of Christmas, as well as the sadness of loss and the joy of rediscovery.

Scrounged From: A Christmas present when I was two years old

Format: Hardcover
Author/Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Pages: 32
Content Advisory: None

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The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas by Madeleine L'Engle is longer than a regular picture book, but shorter than a regular chapter book. I read it easily in one evening, but a family with children may choose to read it aloud over several nights. 

While I haven't read any of L'Engle's "Austin Family" books, I don't think that hindered my enjoyment of this story. The narrative revolves around Vicky Austin and her role as an angel in the Christmas pageant. The Austins are also expecting a new sibling to be born sometime around Christmas. Vicky gradually comes to enjoy her angel role, but also is afraid that her mother will be in the hospital during Christmas. 

In the midst of these worries, the Austins try to do something Christmasy each day, from gradually filling in their nativity scene, to hanging garland and other decorations. I thought this was a realistic look at how the hopes of Christmas can collide with a child's real-life anxieties, and am glad that, even though things do not go entirely according to plan, the Austins are able to be all together on Christmas day.

Scrounged From: My parents' yard sale box

Format: Hardcover
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Illustrator: Joe De Velasco
Pages: 48
Content Advisory: None

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