A Green Christmas by Theodora Kroeber & Illus by John Larrecq

I found this sweet little book on the shelf in my library. It is definitely vintage, but such cute little pictures and a sweet story of parents trying to help their children transition to a new place and new landscape. 

See? Cute pictures. And it is very green.

A little boy and his sister lived in the  mountains of Colorado.

Until they moved to California with rolling brown hills and so much warm sunshine.

Thanksgiving was rainy.

And so was Christmas. How could this be? How could Santa deal with green grass instead of snow?!

After assurances from their parents, the boy and his sister fall asleep. 

In the morning, before the sun is up, they quietly sneaked downstairs to see if Santa had really been there. And he had! And he left a note! 

Santa told them how nice it was to let his reindeer graze for a little while on new clover after delivering all the presents. 

They ran outside to look for footprints and found sleigh runner marks and hooves. 

And it turns out that green Christmases can be lovely as well. 

Pretty endpapers

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol & Illus by Isabella Arsenault

Isn't this an adorable cover?! 

Did you know Isabella Arsenault is from Montreal? So pretty much local. 

Once upon a northern night

while you lay sleeping,

wrapped in a downy blanket

I painted you a picture.

The things that happen in the night...

Once upon a northern night

a mother deer led her fawn 

around the silent birch

and traced

a wandering path

on my canvas of white.

They nuzzled the sleeping garden

with memories of summer,

then wandered off

ti taste the frozen fruit

still clinging to an apple tree. 

The poor fox who just wants to play with the hares....

Once upon a norther night

deep,

deep, 

in the darkest hours,

the snowy clouds crept away

and the stars appeared--

twinkling points of light

hanging in the purple sky. 

I knew by the time you woke

the sun would have chased them away;

so I set them like diamonds

on the branches of the willow. 

The writing is so poetic. The pictures so soft and gentle. 

Dreamy and fitting for talking of the things that happen at night in the winter. 

And then

I had the moon gently kiss you

and the wind whisper...

I love you. 

I am not entirely sure who the narrator is here--the earth? The night? The world at large? 

But whatever it is, it is gentle, kind, and loving. 

And then, the awakening. 

That first morning of waking up to a snow covered world..... 

Magic! 

Over the River and Through the Woods Illus by Emma Randall

ANNNNND the final contender! 

This book wins the cutest endpapers competition! 

In general, this book is very cute. 

Pretty though too!

One of those books where small children are doing things their parents should never let them do by themselves. 

And here is grandmother's farm. This one is definitely for a younger crowd. There aren't too many verses, so it gets down quite quickly and the illustrations with the bright colors and rounded shapes are ideal for young children. 

Over the River and Through the Woods Illus by Christopher Manson

The next one had woodcut illustrations which creates a vintage feel. 

This also had simplified lyrics, omitting some of the lesson known verses.

Iceboats!

For some reason, this version feels the most authentic. For no reason except the woodcuts look vintagey. 

I have to say, I love woodcuts.

I loved this one! 

Over the River and Through the Woods by Matt Tavares

Students love singing books, so I decided to get a copy of Over the River to sing to them. While searching for a copy, I found several different versions with very different illustrations. So I had to get them all. Because, who did it best? 

We must know. 

The first one I found, up in the top left has the most conventional illustrations. 

Period appropriate and attention to detail

We will not stop for doll or top 

For 'tis Thanksgiving Day

Conventional or not, I enjoy these illustrations! 

This is the only copy that had this particular stanza in it

Over the river, and through the wood, 

With a clear blue winter sky

The dogs do bark,

And children hark,

As we go jingling by. 

This is definitely an idealized version of a New England back in the day, but hey, I am not one to argue with a dollop of nostalgia. 

So I like this one. 

Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer & Illus by Ekua Holmes

This beautiful book is about the big bang. How that works as a topic for a picture is hard to imagine, but Bauer and Holmes make it work! 

Euka Holmes does the most amazing work. 

She layers paper collage for these super detailed and subtle images. 

Like woah!!

Seriously. This is a beautifully illustrated book about physics for kids. 

There was talk about this one for a Caldecott last year. That didn't happen, but it did win the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration. 

The ash of those dying stars gathered into planets....

So much movement and suppressed passion in these pictures!

All of the universe was preparing and waiting for YOU. 

You took a big breath 

of the same air 

once breathed 

by woolly mammoths.

 You cried tears

 that were once salty seas. 

Your hair 

once the carbon in a leaf. 

I love this spread!!

All of us, the stuff of stars.