*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post. All thoughts are strictly my own.
We love gifting books during the holiday season! Candlewick Press is always a fantastic source for wonderfully fun and educational books for kiddos of all ages. Check out some of our favorite recommendations for the holiday season:
Astro Girl
by Ken Wilson-Max
32 pages – Ages 4-8
The stars are the limit for a little girl who acts out her wish to be an astronaut — inspired by a very special person.
Astrid has loved the stars and space for as long as she can remember. “I want to be an astronaut!” she says to everyone who will listen. While her mama is away, Astrid and her papa have fun acting out the challenges an astronaut faces on a space mission — like being in zero gravity (“I can do that all day long!” she says), eating food from a kind of tube, and doing science experiments with the help of cookie sheets. When at last it’s time to meet Mama at the air base, Astrid wears her favorite space T-shirt to greet her. But where exactly has Mama been? Channeling a sense of childlike delight, Ken Wilson-Max brings space travel up close for young readers and offers an inspiring ending.
Just Because
by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
40 pages – Ages 4-8
Curious minds are rewarded with curious answers in a fantastical bedtime book by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault.
Why is the ocean blue? What is the rain? What happened to the dinosaurs? It might be time for bed, but one child is too full of questions about the world to go to sleep just yet. Little ones and their parents will be charmed and delighted as a patient father offers up increasingly creative responses to his child’s nighttime wonderings. Any child who has ever asked “Why?” — and any parent who has attempted an explanation — will recognize themselves in this sweet storybook for dreamers who are looking for answers beyond “Just because.”
Mother Goose of Pudding Lane
by Chris Raschka and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky
48 pages – Ages 4-8
Celebrated picture book creators Chris Raschka and Vladimir Radunsky offer one possible answer to the age-old question: Who was Mother Goose?
We all love to hear Mother Goose rhymes and riddles. But did you know that there was a real Mother Goose who lived in Boston more than three hundred years ago? In 1692, Elizabeth Foster married a widower with ten children. His name was Isaac Goose, and after they married, Elizabeth became Mother Goose. She and Isaac had four more children together, and to help her care for such a big and boisterous family, Mother Goose sang songs and lullabies and made up rhymes and poems. Her nursery rhymes and stories were published at a print shop on Pudding Lane in Boston, though no copies of her book exist today. In a book featuring some of Mother Goose’s best-loved works, Vladimir Radunsky’s bright and humorous illustrations and Chris Raschka’s rhyming poems tell the little-known story of the Goose children, Isaac, and Elizabeth herself — the Mother Goose of Pudding Lane.
Mr. Scruff
by Simon James
32 pages – Ages 3-7
A sweetly silly story of a little boy and a dog who make an unlikely (but perhaps perfect) pair.
Everyone knows that owners and their dogs belong together in a unique way. Polly belongs to Molly, Eric belongs to Derek, Berry belongs to Terry. But poor Mr. Scruff, alone in the rescue shelter, doesn’t belong to anyone. Then a boy named Jim walks in, and they seem to get along. Jim and Mr. Scruff don’t look anything alike, and their names certainly don’t rhyme, but they may end up belonging to each other just the same. From author-illustrator Simon James comes a warm, winning story about friendship and finding a home.
Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound
by James Rhodes and illustrated by Martin O’Neill
72 pages – Ages 12 and up
In a stunning and innovative performance, piano maestro James Rhodes introduces today’s readers to seven of the greatest composers of all time.
Bach. Mozart. Beethoven. Old guys with curly wigs, right? But trust me: those composers were the original rock stars.
Open your mind to some of the most breathtaking and magnificent pieces of music ever created, and find out why the rebels and revolutionaries who wrote them are responsible for every track on your phone today. Discover their backstories and how each one shaped and defined classical music. Learn about the structure of an orchestra, the language of music, and the history of musical periods. With jaw-dropping artwork and avant-garde design, this visually exquisite celebration of classical music is a surefire hit for both first-time listeners and longtime fans. Budding aficionados will appreciate the online playlist featuring James Rhodes’s favorite selections.
If you have kiddos of any age on your gift giving list, consider giving the gift of reading this holiday season. You can't go wrong with a good book and Candlewick Press has hundreds of great books to choose from!
Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
