On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me …. What else would my true love give me, but books? Books are one of the best gifts around, because there’s a book for every budget, every age, every interest. A book provides hours of entertainment, creates great memories, doesn’t require batteries or a charger, and usually makes no noise. Continuing our holiday tradition, here are five more great book-gift ideas that won’t cost you five gold rings:
As introduced in last week’s column, Karen Katz’s board books are a big hit with any families who have wee ones. Though any book by Katz makes a wonderful gift – Hobo says, “with a name like that, what do you expect?” – the sweetest new Katz book for Christmas may well be Nutcracker: Twinkle Toes. Each page of this little book offers a different little dancer from the Land of Sweets, including traditional favorites such as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Dewdrop Fairy. The cover alone is worth the $8.99 suggested cover price, with a little girl, shown curtsying in a red and green peppermint striped skirt overlaid with a real piece of sparkling fabric as the outer tutu. This book, with its bright colors, touch-and-feel textures, and introduction to the original wonder of the Nutcracker story, is sure to send any little dancer over the moon.
To balance out the sugary goodness of Nutcracker, let us suggest a new holiday comedy book, hot off the press this November 2010, entitled Sketchy Santas: A Lighter Look at the Darker Side of St. Nick. In the tradition of cute photo funny books such as I Can Has Cheezburger or Bad Cats, this book, too, began life as a website, where Will Zweigart, an award-winning PR and marketing professional started collecting photos of awkward Santa moments. The book brings together examples of sketchy department-store Santas: some with ugly masks, cheap beards, or weird makeup; Santas looking drunk, grouchy, juvenile, or a bit too jolly; and the screaming, badly-dressed, body-fluid covered children and pets who grace the photo-with-Santa Christmas cards. These may not be your Hallmark moments, but they are hilarious. At a suggested retail cover price of $10, this ho-ha-huh? collection will have you racing to page through old family albums in search of all the priceless sketchy Santas in your own history. Hobo remembers having his photo taken with Santa for Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries just a couple of years ago…. It was all going just fine until that Doberman showed up…..
Speaking of puppies and Christmas (Hobo says: “do we have to?”), a cherished favorite Golden Book puppy is not only available again in his original format, but he is also is joined by a special edition for Christmas! Leaping lords, it’s the Poky Little Puppy! Not only can you have the classic for just $3.99, you can also add The Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas for the same low price. While it may be a little unbelievable that a puppy could befriend a spice kitty, Christmas is the time of miracles!
For fans of Rosemary Wells’ Max and Ruby, a funny pair of bunny siblings whose book and TV adventures are charming preschoolers across the country, there’s a new edition of Max & Ruby’s Christmas Tree, this one in a large, squishy-covered board book. Another great sibling story by Rosemary Wells, entitled Morris’ Disappearing Bag, is perfect for slightly older children. The setting is Christmas morning, with illustrations that show rabbit siblings who look to be close cousins of Max and Ruby, but this cute story is perfect for families any time of the year. Morris, the youngest sibling, is firmly told by his older brother and his older sister that he is NOT allowed to play with their new Christmas presents – a chemistry set, roller skates – because he is too little and he will hurt himself or break them. When Morris finds one last present under the tree, addressed to him, he discovers a magic disappearing bag; suddenly, everyone is willing to trade time with their toys.
Wouldn’t you rather trade around books with other people in your posse, or will you hoard all your electronic playthings for yourself? Give the gift that definitely keeps on giving – reading and books – and make sure bookstores and libraries don’t become ghosts of Christmases past.
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