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MaryM
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The past couple of years we have had a fun thread reviewing NEW Christmas picture books. Figured since we have started the tradition we might as well continue. From my searching of Amazon and our library's new selections it looks like it will be a better year than last - which was pretty slim. I have a few that I have gotten and will start posting some reviews. Let us know what you find newly published this year.
New Christmas Books - Published 2011
New Christmas Books - Published 2012
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Mary M. in Denver
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SuzanneG
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Oh, love seeing the new ones that come out! Can't wait to see what everyone finds!!!!
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Christine
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Bambinelli Sunday looks promising. If anyone has seen it, I would appreciate a review of the book.
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Christine
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CrunchyMom
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I just saw that the Cranberry books including Cranberry Christmas are newly back in print this year 
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MaryM
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Christine wrote:
| Bambinelli Sunday looks promising. If anyone has seen it, I would appreciate a review of the book. |
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I have been eyeing this one as well...wishing I could see it first, too.
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Mary M. in Denver
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LeeAnn
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I just received "Bambinelli Sunday." I've read through it myself but haven't read it to the kids yet, the real test. The text is longish for each page, so better for older children who are patient. It's set in modern day Italy, about a boy who is staying with the grandparents while his parents are away working and makes a bambino (baby Jesus figure for the crèche/nativity set) with the help of his grandparents. It has a sweet and happy ending. The illustrations are very nice; colorful, warm, modern, showing charming Italy.
I would recommend this to families that love Italy, or love crèches, or who have a child that feels sad or lonely. It's not something I see becoming a well-loved classic that must be read every year in our house, it's a little too wordy, but I can see it being a hit if it's read with the right kind of voice. Emphasizing the "oh no! what happened to Alessandro now?" hard luck sort of events that happen, to make the happy ending even happier.
(SPOILER alert!)
The climax of the story is the boy's decision to give away the professionally made bambino he had brought to cheer up a child, thus arriving empty-handed at St. Peter's square for the bambino blessing. But his grandfather arrives with Alessandro's own repaired homemade bambino and also his parents have returned, adding to the joy of the day. The mom is really cute! Stylish boots and all.
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LeeAnn
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Some new Christmas season books I'm excited about:
Christmas Mouse - A favorite illustrator, just cute (secular) animal story
The Message of the Birds - the Gospel as sung by birds, can't wait to see how this is told, sounds intriguing
The Christmas Wish - I just love the little red hats and all things Norway. It's about a little girl who travels through all kinds of dangers in hopes of becoming one of Santa's Elves. No Gospel here (except the beauty of nature and loving kindness of Santa), but absolutely fantastic photography and the cute factor is high if you like little girls in braids, anything Nordic and winter animals.
When I see the other two, I'll review them. :)
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KackyK
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I LOVE these threads. We purchase several new picture books each Christmas. Lately I've been trying to wise up  and wait for more reviews and/or check some out at the library first.
So far I have checked out and I do really like Christmas Farm. It tells of an older lady living alone a farm, who decides she has a lot of land and she should plant something else on her farm. With the help of her neighbor's son, she chooses Christmas trees. So it tells about the waiting and waiting for the trees to grow and then imagining the joy they bring to their purchasers the year they are ready to be purchased. It's a sweet one. And since it seems to be a reprint this year, it is already in paperback and therefore I like the price 
Now I have several in my cart at Amazon that I'm still pondering and looking for more reviews before hitting the checkout.
And LeeAnn I'm dying to hear about The Message of the Birds. I don't want the pages too long because my littles won't sit for too. I really wish I could see just a page or two.
Others:
Joy to the World: Tomie's Christmas Stories a combined volume of yearly favorites. I'm thinking of purchasing this for my nieces and nephews.
Peace on Earth by Mary Engelbreit
The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
An Otis Christmas we love Otis 
I can't wait to see what others are finding!
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KackyK
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SeaStar
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New to us this year is Tasha Tudor's The Night Before Christmas.
I found it at our library sale and am just in love with the illustrations...
dogs, cat, owls... some of them quite humorous.
St. Nick is a little troll-like, but somehow it all works. The scenes are warm and glowing, the detail is lavish. I think this is going to be one of my favorite versions of the poem.
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Here are my reviews of the new ones my library has:
Deck the Walls: A Wacky Christmas Carol.
We love books that we sing along the words. This is a little messy, but if you have boys, the book is fun. It captures a family Christmas dinner with extended family, and that part I love. I don't like much the disaster part, but my boys do.
The Christmas Cat by Maryann MacDonald.
This is a little story based on Leonardo da Vinci's sketches of La Madonna del Gatto or Madonna of the Cat, based on the legend of a cat living the stable who purred Jesus to sleep the night He was born.
The pictures are sweet, but I'm not quite accepting the idea that the infant Jesus cried and cried and no one could console him except the cat. The book also takes the Holy Family fleeing Egypt, and they couldn't console Jesus without the cat...who happens to be hiding in the basket. I don't know, I want to like it based on the Legend, but it borders a bit on the irreverent and unlikely.
Gifts of the Heart by Patricia Polacco is another heart warming story that doesn't disappoint. It's a winner, encouraging family love and memory making and realizing what is important during rough times (about to lose the family farm). The part where Kaye (from Mississippi) talks about her cooking "That there's soup is made from cockroach toes, bees' knees and buzzard bowels" reminds me of my aunt who made up a song about her aunt's split pea soup. It was delicious, but the words were similar to those of Polacco's! I like this one. For those that believe in Santa Claus, this helps keep the belief, especially for those children with waning belief.
Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing by Amy Welborn
I was really looking forward to this book. I love Ann Engelbert's illustrations from her previous books. As LeeAnn mentioned, it's a little lengthy in the text. The story is very good, and this book can really be a jumping point for children to try and make their own infant Jesus or whole creches. I love this idea, and I think my boys would be inspired. That would have been a neat addition to have some "craft ideas" at the end of the book.
I have two little quibbles with this book. One is how the word "presepe" is presented. It isn't italicized, there isn't a pronunciation, and I'm not sure if it's really correct. It can be presepe or presepio for singular, and presepi in plural. I think clarifying this would help a child be at ease with the Italian word and custom.
My second issue is the biggest one. This is spoiler alert, but the main character is a boy who makes clay infant Jesus to be blessed by the Holy Father. As he leaves to go to St. Peter's, the infant drops and the arm is broken. Without telling anyone, he takes an infant Jesus that is for sale in his grandfather's shop. But then, on the bus, a small girl plays with the baby Jesus, and he decides to give it to her, since it makes her so happy.
The gesture of giving is nice, but it wasn't his to give, and he was being dishonest and sneaky. There is no restitution mentioned to his grandfather, either. I haven't read it to my boys, but this kind of thing makes me uncomfortable. I try to encourage my boys to be open and honest and upfront. So while I will read this to them, this will be an area we will have to discuss.
There were a few other corny or twaddly books that I don't even bother. These were the few that looked good to me.
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JennGM
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Oh, I forgot. I looked over Arturo and the Navidad Birds and didn't really care for it. Again, it's about a boy breaking something and not being upfront about it. He tries to recreate another ornament and glue the one he breaks.
We had an incident in our house about the very same thing. We gave a sand dollar ornament to my MIL. My oldest was fascinated by it and broke it, but hid the pieces. But he felt so guilty for breaking it and even worse for not being truthful about it. He felt much better when he finally told us. I did repair it, but every time he sees the ornament he remembers.
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JennGM
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I see Tomie DePaola's An Early American Christmas is being re-released on Kindle.
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I failed to mention another book I saw that is new and I put on hold at the library.
Christmas from Heaven: The True Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber by Tom Brokaw
Thanks for the alerts Jenn about Bambinelli. I was planning on it being a read aloud, so glad to know to watch for that one.
Gifts from the Heart is on my hold list too.
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JennGM
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I was just requesting our library to carry this title! I'm looking forward to that one!
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JennGM
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KackyK wrote:
| Thanks for the alerts Jenn about Bambinelli. I was planning on it being a read aloud, so glad to know to watch for that one. |
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You will like it. It's probably just my family that feels uncomfortable with this sort of thing.
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SeaStar
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OK- I am searching my library for newly published Christmas books, new additions, etc... and apparently there is nothing new it has added for children in 2013 aside from a few dvds. 
What key words are you all using to bring up the lists? Because I really hate to think that my library has nothing new for kids this year for the holidays... 
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DominaCaeli
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No, it's not just your family, Jenn! I really appreciate your thorough and candid reviews, all the time! Thank you. 
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Christine
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JennGM wrote:
KackyK wrote:
| Thanks for the alerts Jenn about Bambinelli. I was planning on it being a read aloud, so glad to know to watch for that one. |
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You will like it. It's probably just my family that feels uncomfortable with this sort of thing. |
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Thank you, Jenn. It isn't just your family. Honesty is very important in our family. If a book like this is read and not discussed, children can easily come to think that taking things deceitfully is acceptable.
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Christine
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JennGM
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SeaStar wrote:
OK- I am searching my library for newly published Christmas books, new additions, etc... and apparently there is nothing new it has added for children in 2013 aside from a few dvds.
What key words are you all using to bring up the lists? Because I really hate to think that my library has nothing new for kids this year for the holidays...
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For my library catalog I search subject Christmas, juvenile, and then sort by date so I can see the latest additions.
I also go to Amazon and list by recently published so I can request some for my library to carry.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Erin
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Jenn
Great tips!!! 
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Erin
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: New Christmas Books - Published 2013
