Pair these book ideas with a matching gift for the holidays!
A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston, illus by Sylvia Long (Chronicle). The same duo that created An Egg is Quiet has created another marvel with the same detailed attention to science and beauty. Eager readers will learn exotic names such as “Moonlight Jewel, Painted Jezebel and Ruddy Daggerwing”. There are few books on butterflies that have such beautiful, lifelike illustrations. (Ages 5 – 10)
Gift: Butterfly Garden Kit (remember to order the caterpillars in advance!)
Sketchy Behavior by Erynn Mangun (Zondervan). Christian publisher Zondervan has released this new title perfect for budding artists. Kate Carter is introduced to the world of forensic sketches, and creates the perfect image of a man wanted in four counties. He is immediately apprehended, which catapults Kate into celebrity status. All is well, until he escapes. As her safety is threatened, Kate finds comfort at church and the Gospel of Luke. A likeable squeaky clean thriller for tweens. (Ages 11 and up)
Gift: Colored Pencils and a Sketch Pad
What Puppies Do Best, by Laura Numeroff, illus by Lynn Munsinger (Chronicle). Numeroff, famous for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, has another set of classics on her hands. Teaming up again with Munsinger, this series has typically involved two stories in one. What Grandmas Do Best flips over and becomes What Grandpas Do Best. The same format is found for Mommies and Daddies, Brothers and Sisters, and Uncles and Aunts! What Puppies Do Best continues the warm feelings of family relationships, but I wonder why we don’t learn what Kittens do best this time. (Ages 2 and up)
Gift: You guessed it. A PUPPY!
F In Exams: The Very Best in Totally Wrong Answers by Richard Benson (Chronicle). This book will be item everyone passes around all day long, or that will be read out loud at the family meal. Benson has found the most creative responses when the answer is nowhere to be found. Question: “What is the highest frequency noise that a human can register?” Answer: “Maria Carey.” A little sugar and lightness will soften the real gift, a Test Prep Book! (Ages 14 and up)
Gift: ACT Prep Study Book
Silverfin: The Graphic Novel (Young Blood Series #1) by Charles Higson, illus by Kev Walker (Hyperion). Higson has penned a whole book series on James Bond as a teenager. Silverfin is the first of five books in the Young Bond Series by Higson. New this year is the Graphic Novel version of Silverfin. Thrilling, believable and sure to create new James Bond fanatics. (Ages 10 and up)
Gift: A James Bond DVD Collection
Perfect Square by Michael Hall (HarperCollins Children’s Books) Hall incredibly take a simple thing, a perfect square with “four matching corners and four equal sides”, and makes it into an expressive story. What a grand accomplishment! Each day, the bright and happy square is punched and torn, crumpled and cut into a colorful array of form and function. This could lead to hours of fun for both adults and children! (All Ages)
Gift: Reams of Colored Paper. Or a Tangram Puzzle (try the one by Square Root). A kid friendly online version can be found at http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/area/tangram.html
The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park illus by Bagram Ibatoulline (Clarion) For those who love holiday books, this one is uniquely introspective and has a faraway feel. “My father collects tears.” So the story begins of a young boy whose father is teaching him to harvest dried sap from trees in a foreign land. The gorgeous illustrations show how ordinary people can be involved in something extraordinary and sacred.
Gift: A small gift set of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
Julie Hubble is giving the Star Wars Blu-Ray Collection to someone in her family in Leawood, Kansas.