Kendal Rautzhan: More great books to share with kids
Time is running out; the holidays are almost here. Check out these great titles to borrow and buy for the special child in your life.
Books to Borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
“The Christmas Day Kitten,” written by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown, St. Martin’s Press, 32 pages
Read aloud: age 3 and older.
Read yourself: age 7-8 and older.
Mrs. Pickering is a kind woman who has opened her home to a stray cat she names Debbie. Debbie visits when she chooses, warming herself by the fire in the company of Mrs. Pickering and her three basset hounds. Debbie soaks in a few moments of solitude, eats a little food and then is gone. Mrs. Pickering never knows when Debbie will return, nor does she know where she goes. But Debbie has learned to trust and love Mrs. Pickering, and that affection is clearly reciprocated.
One Christmas morning Mrs. Pickering telephones the local country vet, Dr. Herriot. Debbie arrived earlier that day, and something is terribly wrong. Dr. Herriot hurries to the Pickering house and discovers a bittersweet scenario. Sorrow turns to joy, however, when Mrs. Pickering receives the finest Christmas present she could ever ask for.
This is a story that warms the heart and makes readers rejoice in the holiday spirit of love and giving, making this a Christmas story you mustn’t miss.
Librarian’s Choice
Library: Stark County District Library, 715 Market Ave. North, Canton
Executive Director: Mary Ellen Icaza
Senior Director of Public Services: Jen Welsh
Main Library Manager: Megan Del Corso
Choices this week: “Grandpa Toad’s Secrets,” by Keiko Kasza; “Hannah’s Bookmobile Christmas,” by Sally Derby; “Little House,” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Books to Buy
The following books are available at favorite booksellers.
“Not Yeti,” by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Claire Keane, Viking, 2021, 40 pages, $17.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4-8.
Read yourself: age 7-8.
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and the world is full of them. Monsters are usually loud, rude, and generally obnoxious, but not Yeti. Yeti is more interested in doing nice things for others and making things instead of breaking things, and Yeti’s behavior annoys the other monsters.
One day the monsters receive invitations to the annual Monster Bash & Barbecue, but one monster hasn’t been invited – Yeti. And although Yeti is disappointed, he decides to put a positive spin on the situation and throws a party of his own, and it turns out to be quite a spectacular bash.
A fun book with positive messages, "Not Yeti" is full of good stuff.
“The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, Candlewick, 2021, 208 pages, $16.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 10 and older.
Read yourself: age 10/11 and older.
Growing up in communist Russia, Yevgeny knows there are rules about being patriotic, and one of those rules that Yevgeny has trouble with is not to ask questions. It is also well known that there are government spies everywhere, so it is wise to keep your thoughts to yourself. That, too, isn’t always easy.
Living in a tiny apartment with his family, Yevgeny seems to fade from view. Where his father is a great lover of poetry yet has little money to buy poetry books, his mother is obsessed with the country’s greatest ballet dancer, his brother has much athletic talent, and his outspoken grandmother, it seems Yevgeny’s future looks dim. All Yevgeny really wants to do is to draw pictures under the dining room table. Luckily, it is Yevgeny’s grandmother and then his father and mother who see his artistic talent, and, as events unfold, Yevgeny begins to understand a great deal more than he ever has before.
A perfect blending of humor, seriousness, and the tribulations of growing up, "The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain" is pitch-perfect in every way.
“The Ultimate Art Museum,” by Ferren Gipson, photographs various credits, Phaidon, 2021, 232 pages, $39.95 hardcover
Read aloud: age 8 – 14.
Read yourself: age 9/10 – 14.
Enter the most comprehensive museum-in-a-book you may ever encounter, and what a grand treat it is. Spanning 40,000 years of art in different galleries organized by geographical regions, cultures and civilizations, readers will be treated to over 300 gorgeous photographs of works of art, detailed maps of the area the artworks come from, and extensive yet accessible information to help readers understand more about the time and place of what the art expresses and the people and culture of that time, and so very much more.
Clearly an art book, this lavish offering is also a book of cultural anthropology, archaeology, geography, what it means to be an art detective, and how art influences culture and people. A perfect book for gifting and sharing, "The Ultimate Art Museum" is a rare treasure.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Kendal Rautzhan: More great books to share with kids
