The book selected randomly (I didn’t look, I promise) this morning is

The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury

Selected by Alice Low

And

Illustrated by Marc Brown

This anthology of Christmas and winter themed stories and poems draws from varied sources. There are short poems from Judith Viorst, A.A. Milne, John Updike, and Edgar Allan Poe and short stories from Beverly Cleary, the Brothers Grimm, and Clement Clarke Moore.

The stories and poems are delightful (think Ramona and the Wiser Persons and The More It Snows), it is the illustrations that make the book a pleasure. Each page of the book has color illustration to match the story or poem. Marc Brown’s illustrations add beautifully to the collection. You may recognize the name Marc Brown. He is the author and illustrator of the Arthur series of children’s books and television show.   I am including a short video of him talking about how he started writing and illustrating children’s books.

The beauty of the book is that you can settle in and read for short periods of time or read a short story that will take a little longer. December is such a great time to get “cuddled in” on the couch or a big chair and read – especially by the cozy glow of Christmas lights.

Here is a sample poem from the book:

A Sled for Christmas

• UP! UP! Up I jump
• and down the stairs I fly.
• LOOK! LOOK! A band-new sled
• that I can’t wait to try.

• ZIP! ZIP! Bundle up,
• I’m toasty warm inside.
• QUICK! QUICK! Out the door,
• then down the hill I’ll glide.

• NO! NO! It isn’t fair,
• It simply isn’t right.
• SNOW! SNOW! I see no snow,
• It melted overnight.

Jack Prelutsky

It looks like I am going to lose the next hour or so reading the book and admiring the illustrations!

Thanks for reading!