Little Library Bookshelf: Mixed-up Christmas Stories

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Little Library Bookshelf is a curated list of books around a theme or topic curated by a local librarian. This month Aleece Michalak from the Round Lake Area Public Library is offering up so Christmas stories that are far from the usual.

Holiday stories are wonderful to read this time of year but why not read a book that is completely different from your favorite traditional stories. Try out some of these new stories that will sure to be a hit with everyone.

Mixed-up Christmas Stories

Olive, the Other Reindeer
Authors/Illustrators: J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh

Olive was in her dog house wrapping presents for Christmas when a song came on the radio. Olive misheard the song and sang “Olive, the other reindeer” instead of “All of the other reindeer” so she realized that she must be a reindeer and if she is a reindeer she must report to the North Pole to help Santa Claus. She makes the journey to the North Pole and even helps Santa save Christmas.

This is a really cute story that shows that with a little magic you can do anything that you set your mind to. This story can be enjoyed by all ages and is a nice twist to stories about reindeers.

Dear Santasaurus
Author: Stacy McAnulty, Illustrator: Jef Kaminsky

Ernest B. Spinosaurus writes a new Christmas letter to Santasaurus every month with all of the nice things that he has done (and he apologizes for the bad things) in order to get a
scooter (which keeps getting more descriptive and changing each time he writes) for Christmas.

The illustrations are very colorful and kids will laugh at some of the crazy things that he has done over the course of the year and they will wonder right up until the very end if he really will get the scooter he has been wanting.

Tacky’s Christmas (Tacky the Penguin)
Author: Helen Lester, Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger

It’s Christmas in Nice Icy Land where the penguins live and everyone is getting ready for Christmas, they are wrapping their presents, making ornaments and hanging them on the tree. The only problem is, there isn’t a tree in Nice Icy Land so Tacky becomes the tree and they decorate him in a Santa suit, lights, ornaments, and glitter.

This is a silly story of having fun with friends and family during the Christmas season and a lesson that even the “bad guys” aren’t so bad (especially if you can make them laugh).

Snowmen at Christmas
Author: Caralyn Buehner, Illustrator: Mark Buehner

What do snowmen do on Christmas? This book explores the actions of Snowmen on Christmas Eve and how they celebrate. The wonderful illustrations make this story come to life and bring joy to the readers.

The nighttime illustrations really get you in the mood for the holidays and give off a wonderful feel for the story. I like this author’s other story Snowmen at Night as well and they both are
creative stories that children will beg you to read again and again.

A Bad Kitty Christmas
Author/Illustrator: Nick Bruel

A retelling of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas with everyone’s favorite, messy cat, Bad Kitty. After Bad Kitty messes up the house they clean up and get ready to leave but Bad Kitty is still angry and she flees.

This is a really cute story that rhymes as well as has the alphabet several times throughout the story. There is a wonderful message throughout the story and really is great for kids and adults of all ages.

The Hanukkah Hop!
Author: Erica Silverman, Illustrator: Steven D’Amico

Rachel is helping everyone get ready for Hanukkah and greets her relatives and friends at the door. She helps them all get ready to have some fun at the first Hanukkah Hop.

This catchy story is a must for those that want stories about getting ready for the holidays, families coming together and everyone having a good time in celebration. A song is sprinkled throughout the story which is a nice touch and the rhyming makes it a lot of fun for kids of all ages.

There are so many holiday stories out there it is hard to pick a favorite. There are classics, traditional, new favorites, and obscure stories but they all have something special to offer to each reader. Everyone has their own tastes and there is something special out there for everyone. So enjoy the season with great books, friends, family, and loved ones. Enjoy these stories and so much more. Looking for some of your favorites or something new then head on over to your local library to see what treasures await.

More of our holiday favorites:

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