WISHING (Monday Poem)

by Leland B. Jacobs


I wish I had a kitten,
I wish I had a dog,
I wish I had a crocodile,
Or a pollywog.

I wish I had a magic hat,
A magic cloak and stick,
I wish I had an uncle
Who could do a magic trick.

I wish I had a sailing ship
That had a jolly crew--
I wish I had a wish, for once,
That really would come true.



from Is Somewhere Always Far Away? Poems About Places by Leland B. Jacobs, illustrated by Jeff Kaufman, 1993, Henry Holt and Company

Humorous and Heartwarming Books for the Holidays (FAMILY magazine reviews)

Ready to snuggle with some dears for storytime?  Try these charmers and make some holiday memories.  Merry! Merry!!

The Night Before Christmas Deep Under the Sea 

by Kathi Kelleher

illustrated by Dan Andreasen 

Holiday House, $16.95, Ages 4-7

            In a lively and humorous parody of the familiar holiday rhyme, this picture book is set in an underwater world of oysters, kelp and seaweed, with an expressive lobster as narrator.  The rhyming text is a perfect rhythmic imitation of Clement Clark Moore’s Christmas poem -- “The moon shells they glimmered like pearls from the glow / Of luminescent jellyfish gliding below” – the whiskered walrus rides in on a “conch shell sleigh,” pulled by “eight lively sea horses,” whose sea creature names, like urchin and snail, he shouts with merry delight.

            As he slides down the poop deck, carrying a bag full of goodies, the red rubber suited blue walrus looks “like a pirate come hauling his loot.” And the somewhat cautious lobster has his fears put “to rest without words being said,“ by the “gleam in his eye and a nod of his head.”

            The double page illustrations are oil paintings combined with digital underpainting, generating an exuberant, animated undersea scene with color zones and underwater bubbles to accompany the vivid, jolly language.  After delivering the gifts, “the flotilla ascended, he bellowed quite clearly,” the timely and timeless message, “Merry Christmas, my friends! I love you all dearly!”  This book is a clever and playful addition to holiday story times.

The Carpenter’s Gift:  A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Center Tree 

by David Rubel

illustrated by Jim LaMarche 

Random House, $17.99, Ages 6-9

            Beginning as a reminiscence, this Christmas tale shows readers an aging Henry, who recalls Christmas eve 1931, when as a young boy (on the facing page), he helps his unemployed dad cut and sell evergreen trees from a grove near their unheated shack.  Using a borrowed truck to drive an hour into New York City, they park and unload with permission and assistance from the workers at a construction site, earning “enough money to make the trip a success.” 

            Giving the remaining trees to the construction workers, they help set the largest tree at the site and decorate it with handmade and found objects, creating a magical moment for young Henry, who keeps a pine cone from the tree, to remember the day.  In a lovely circling manner, the Rockefeller Center workers show up the next day with leftover wood, supplies and tools to build a new house for Henry and his family.  In gratitude and hope, Henry plants the pine cone, which grows into an enormous spruce in whose shade he works and plays with his own family.

            But there’s more!  And here’s where the tradition of holiday trees for the Rockefeller Center meets the purpose of Habitat for Humanity – whose objective and mission is to build simple decent homes for those without, using volunteer labor.  A collaborative story, showing the transformative power of giving, this picture book with its luminous watercolor and colored pencil illustrations captures the wonder, not only of the enchanting tree, but of the faces of the individuals who care to invest their time and energy, changing the world.

            Helpful end matter tells “About the Christmas Tree at the Rockefeller Center” and “About Habitat for Humanity International.”

Together at Christmas 

by Eileen Spinelli

illustrated by Bin Lee 

Albert Whitman, $15.99, Ages 3-7

 

            On Christmas Eve, that most bewitching of nights, a family of ten mice

shiver in the snow.  Counting backwards, this rhyming story shows each mouse finding a cozy place to stay warm – some locations are traditional, like a fallen nest and a milkweed pod – others are more whimsical, like cattail fluff for an overcoat. 

Well-loved author-poet Spinelli’s light-hearted language frames the contrasts between the bitter-cold night and the refuges found by each mouse to cuddle and nestle. Illustrator Lee’s snow-lit settings counter the sleet-driven darkness, producing a bright, whirling energy, subtly supporting the cozy, affectionate tone of this tale, in spite of frigid conditions. 

Ultimately the mice opt to be together even before one of them discovers a hollow log, with a “stash of berries” and “room for everyone!”

SOMEWHERE (Monday Poem)

by Leland B. Jacobs


Where, oh where,
Can somewhere be?
In outer space?
Beneath the sea?

Is somewhere
Always far away?
In other lands?
Beyond today?

Is somewhere
Always farther still?
Beyond the woods,
Beyond the hill?

It's difficult
To be aware
Of somewhere else
Until you're there.


from Is Somewhere Always Far Away? Poems About Places by Leland B. Jacobs, illustrated by Jeff Kaufman, 1993, Henry Holt and Company

MY OWN DAY (Monday Poem)

by Jean Little


When I opened my eyes this morning,
The day belonged to me.
The sky was mine and the sun,
And my feet got up dancing.
The marmalade was mine and the squares of the sidewalk
And all the birds in the trees.
So I stood and I considered
Stopping the world right there,
Making today go on and on forever.
But I decided not to.
I let the world spin on and I went to school.
I almost did it, but then, I said to myself,
"Who knows what you might be missing tomorrow?"




from The Family Read-Aloud Holiday Treasury selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Marc Brown, 1991, Little, Brown and Company