Carol’s Caravan of Christmas Creations (Christmas Books from the Basement) – Day 17

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

 

Wee Mouse Christmas

By Alyssa Satin Capucilli

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This is a little pop-up book. There is a pop-up on each page along with some flaps to lift. It is the story of a little mouse that in the quiet of night goes downstairs and finds a surprise. He goes back upstairs to gather his family to share the surprise. He gets his sister from under the pillow, his Mom from under the bed, his dad from the drawer in the dresser and they run downstairs to see that Santa has been to the house.

While it is a pop-up book which is prone to destruction in the hands of little ones, this book is a bit more substantial than some.  I would give a toddler about 3 minutes to destroy it. (Please refer back to the bad mother comments made previously to see why my copy is still in one piece.)

The author of this book has written many other books. She has a popular “I Can Read” series about a dog named Biscuit.  She has a few YouTube videos including the following about why she wrote the first book about Biscuit.

Okay, I obviously bought this book when I was naive about mice. I now get a case of the heebie jeegies reading this book.  Really! These people need an exterminator. The mice are sleeping all around the little girl’s room. Under her pillow! Gross!   (If it makes you feel better, an exterminator told me that mice do not usually hang out in bedrooms. They generally just want food and water.) Anyway, if you can suspend your thoughts about mice, this is a cute book.  It does seem to be out of print but there are used copies available.

Thanks for reading!

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Carol’s Caravan of Christmas Creations (Christmas Books from the Basement) – Day 16

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

You would think that I would start running out of books, wouldn’t you.  But I’m not….

There are a few books in there!

There are more books than the days before Christmas!

Santabear’s First Christmas

Story by Barbara Read

Illustrations by Howard B. Lewis

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Last Friday, I wrote about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and how it was a coloring book developed as a store giveaway. (Here is a link if you missed it.)

Santabear was not a giveaway but it was a store themed item. From 1985 – 2007, the Dayton Hudson Company had a Santabear each Christmas. The Santabears would be dressed differently (astronaut, drum major, forest ranger) each year. With the exception of the 1985, all the bear’s outfits indicated the year that they were sold. They became quite the collectible item.

In 1986, they also developed the Santabear book and video. They followed it with Santabear’s High Flying Adventure in 1987.

Santabear’s First Christmas is the story of the little polar bear that was separated from his family because his piece of ice cracked off and set him sailing away. (Another upbeat start for a Christmas book.) He finds himself in the forest and is befriended by a little girl and her grandfather. There is an emergency and the little bear, with the help of a moose and Santa, saves the day. Due to his selfless helping of others, he is named Santabear by Santa and Santa grants his special wish.

It is a very nice little story and the illustrations are a compliment to the writing. This book is also out of print but there are used copies available.

Thanks for reading!

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Carol’s Caravan of Christmas Creations (Christmas Books from the Basement) – Day 15

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

There is more snow and the temperature has dropped. It is time to cozy on the couch and read –

 Children of Christmas

By Cynthia Rylant

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I know why this book made it into the Christmas selection. Cynthia Rylant wrote the popular (especially in my house) series about Henry and Mudge.  As I recall, the Great Dane was Henry and the little boy was Mudge. They had lots of adventures and were great for the learning to read set.

This is actually not the book I would choose to read to children. The stories are a little more “adultish” and not really upbeat.  There are six short stories in the book.  The first is about a man that sells Christmas trees. He started selling Christmas trees because he moved from the town he grew up in after the death of his parents.  He lives on a Christmas tree farm by himself and the only time he sees people is when they buy trees at Christmas time.  He likes Christmas time because of all the visitors. Then he goes back to his solitary life.  Not exactly a heartwarming Christmas tale. It does beat the story of the little girl whose mother is never home so she walks the streets at night.  (Calling Children and Family Services, anyone?)

The book seems to be out of print so you won’t be able to add it to your Christmas list.  (There are used copies available on Amazon.) The stories are well written but definitely  not the upbeat side of Christmas.  Perhaps one of the blubs from the back of the book says it all

“Most will be moved by the poignancy of these stories about the other side of Christmas.”

School Library Journal

Thanks for reading!

 

 

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Carol’s Caravan of Christmas Creations (Christmas Books from the Basement) – Day 13

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

Friday 13

Do you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia? Then it is time to get under the covers because today is Friday, December 13. This date has been significant in my life to two reasons. The first is that it is my Grandmother’s birthday and the only reason that I know that is because it was also the date of my son’s first surgery. (Which it seems to me was 13 years ago.)  I remember both because my father told me it was a lucky day because his mother was born that day.

Today’s selection is

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

By Eileen Daly

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Let’s not beat around the bush, let’s get straight to the story of Rudolph. Where did that reindeer come from? The original was not a book but was actually a coloring book.

rudolph the original comic book

Montgomery Wards was a department and mail order store in Chicago. Every Christmas they would purchase coloring books to give to children. In, 1939, it was decided that it would be cheaper to produce the coloring book in-house. Robert May was given the task of developing the coloring book. He is the source of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The story was a huge hit.

(And here is the notice for all you nice girl and boy writers…)

Because May was an employee when he developed the coloring book, Montgomery Wards held the copyright for Rudolph. That meant that Montgomery Wards received the royalties.

In Robert May’s life, 1939 was significant for another reason. In July of 1939, his wife, Evelyn, died of cancer.  He was left with large medical bills from her treatment. He struggled with the bills for years. In January of 1947, he told Sewell Avery (then president of Montgomery Wards) about his medical expense debt. Mr. Avery then gave Robert May the copyright for Rudolph.

Mr. May continued to work as a copywriter until 1951 when he resigned and spent 7 years managing the Rudolph empire and then he went back to work for Montgomery Wards until his retirement in 1971.  Mr. May died in 1976.


And then there is the song. The song was written by Johnny Marks, who happened to be Mr. May’s brother in law. They tried to get Bing Crosby or Dinah Shore to sing it but they refused.  Gene Autry recoded the song and it is now the second most popular song of all time. (White Christmas is first. Gee, if Bing had recorded Rudolph, he could have the first and second most popular songs.)

I am not sure which I like better.  Is it the story of Rudolph or the story about Rudolph? Which is it for you?  Let me know.

Thanks for reading.

 

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Carol’s Caravan of Christmas Creations (Christmas Books from the Basement) – Day 12

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

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Oh, Baby, It’s cold outside! Time to curl up in with a blanket and a Christmas book!

 Henry’s Christmas Star

By Jeffrey Dinardo

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Henry is a bird who lives with his Mother, Father, and little sister. (The birds are modeled after the author’s cockatiels) Henry’s favorite part of Christmas is the annual visit from his Grandmother. They have many traditions that they share each year and it is very special to Henry. This year as his excitement builds for her visit, he finds out that she will not be able to join them this year. Henry lets his disappointment ruin the next few days until he discovers that he can enjoy the traditions by showing them to Penny.

The book includes instructions for how to make a snowflake ornament.

Henry’s Christmas Star is the fourth in a series of holiday Henry books. There is Henry’s Secret Valentine, Henry’s Bunny Hop, and Henry’s Halloween. It does not look to me like these books are in print any longer.  There are used copies available on Amazon.

Thanks for reading!

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