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Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Holiday Picture Books (reviews & giveaway)


Halloween, Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year...today I've got a great list of holiday themed picture books perfect for all the upcoming holidays! And be sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post...


Pick a Pumpkin 
By Patricia Toht 
Illustrated by Jarvis 
July 9, 2019 
Candlewick  

Pick a pumpkin from the patch. Tall and lean or short and fat. Vivid orange, ghostly white, or speckled green, might be just right. 

Pairing a wonderfully rhythmic read-aloud text with expressive retro illustrations, author Patricia Toht and illustrator Jarvis capture all the excitement and familial feeling of a favorite holiday tradition. Readers will be happy to follow along with each step, from picking out the perfect specimen at the pumpkin patch (be sure to stop for cider and toffee apples) to carting it home, scooping out the insides, carving a scary face, and finally lighting a candle inside -- savoring the familiar ritual of transforming an ordinary pumpkin into a one-of-a-kind glowing jack-o'-lantern. 

Patricia Toht’s Pick A Pumpkin is a delightful celebration of a beloved Halloween tradition: visiting the pumpkin patch and creating a jack-o-lantern. Charming rhymes, with just the right amount of silly spooktastic vibes, create a bewitching and fun Halloween atmosphere, while the Fall colored illustrations, so full of all things Autumn and Halloween with diverse characters, bring this magical time of year to life perfectly. 

(see bottom of post for giveaway featuring this title) 

Give Me Back My Bones 
By Kim Norman 
Illustrated by Bob Kolar 
July 16, 2019 
Candlewick  

A silly pirate skeleton seeks to put its bones back together in this rhyming romp beneath the waves. 

Cast a spyglass 'round here 
while breakers curl and pound here. 
There's treasure to be found here -- 
I feel it in my bones! 

A stormy night at sea has uncovered some long-buried secrets and surprises. Is that the mast of a shipwreck? A faded pirate hat? And what's that hiding in the sand? A mandible and a clavicle, phalanges and femurs, a tibia and a fibula -- could there be a set of bones scattered across the ocean floor? And who might they belong to? A jaunty rhyme takes readers on an underwater scavenger hunt as a comical skeleton tries to put itself back together piece by piece. Make no bones about it: this rollicking read-aloud will have young ones learning anatomy without even realizing it. 

Kim Norman’s Give Me Back My Bones is a spectacularly bone-tickling tale of one pirate skeleton’s quest to find his missing bones across the ocean. Through the most hilarious and clever rhymes, this picture book offers little readers a laugh-out-loud story that they will want to hear again and again, all while teaching them about the different bones in the body. Kolar’s fun, engaging illustrations capture the cool, mysterious depths of the ocean, while hilariously bringing the story to life. A brilliant, bony tale! 

The Right One for Roderic 
By Violeta Noy 
July 9, 2019 
Templar 

What happens when one little ghost wants to stand out? 

All ghosts wear white sheets. That’s just what ghosts do. White sheets are good for haunting people, and they make the ghosts feel like part of one big family. But one little ghost named Roderic wants to wear something different. He tries all sorts of things: a bag, a rug, a boot. Can he find the right one for him? Find out in this colorful picture book from debut author-illustrator Violeta Noy. 

Violeta Noy’s The Right One For Roderic is a heartfelt and empowering celebration of embracing one’s differences and always being yourself. Little readers will delight in Noy’s simple, yet sweetly and effectively delivered text and message, and be amused by the boldly colored and humorously detailed illustrations. 

Hide and Seek 
By Katie May Green 
July 16, 2019 
Candlewick 

The mischievous stars of Seen and Not Heard climb out of their paintings for another nighttime adventure in this gently spooky bedtime story. 

A midsummer moon shines on Shiverhawk Hall, where portraits of children come alive on the wall. As night falls, the playful painted residents wake up for another Gorey-esque rhyming caper. When the DeVillechild twins are nowhere to be seen, the other children escape their frames in search of two girls in white dresses -- and, possibly, a midnight game in the garden. Out in the night air, through the maze, and into the woods they go, looking for their mysterious friends. Will they be able to find the twins before the sun rises? Charming and eerie without ever being too scary, Katie May Green's second tale is perfect for Halloween story times and bedtime read-alouds after a long day of play. 

Hide and Seek is a wildly enchanting tale full of a deliciously dark aesthetic, marvelously mischievous children, and a lush, gothic-like atmosphere. Green’s energetic, fun rhymes will amuse and delight with their quirky humor and whimsy, while her unique, darkly colored illustrations will captivate. 

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York 
(Pop Classics #7) 
Based on the film written by John Hughs and directed by Chris Columbus 
Illustrated by Kim Smith 
October 1, 2019 
Quirk Books 

YIKES! Kevin did it again! The beloved sequel to Home Alone is now an adorable picture book for the whole family. 

It's the holidays and Kevin doesn't want to go on his family vacation to Florida. Amid the chaos and confusion of the airport, he accidentally boards the wrong plane and ends up alone (again!) in New York City. Kevin goes sightseeing, checks into a hotel, and enjoys limo rides, all courtesy of his dad's credit card. But then he makes a shocking discovery: the burglars who tried to rob his house last year are back, and this time they plan to rob a toy store on Christmas Eve! Can Kevin stop them and save Christmas with the help of some new friends? Charmingly illustrated by Kim Smith, this sweet and funny adaptation will delight fans of the Home Alone franchise, young and old alike.   

Pop Classics returns with their 7th book, Home Alone: Lost In New York, based on the beloved second movie in the Home Alone film series. Capturing the fun and magic of the movie, this Pop Classics picture book will delight and amuse young readers with its outrageously fun antics and story. All of which is brought to life through Smith’s adorable and silly illustrations. 

Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot 
Deluxe Holiday Edition 
By Mary Pope Osborne 
Illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo 
October 1, 2019 
Random House 
Holiday magic and mystery abound in this oversized, gorgeously illustrated deluxe holiday edition from the #1 bestselling chapter book series--for the first time with brand-new full-color illustrations! 

When Jack and Annie receive an invitation to spend Christmas Eve in Camelot--a magical place that exists only in myth and fantasy--they know they are in for their biggest adventure yet. What they don't know is that the invitation will send them on a quest to save Camelot. Can they succeed even though Camelot's greatest knights have failed? 

Did you know that there's a Magic Tree House book for every kid? 

Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures  Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com! 

This holiday season, readers can return to Camelot with Jack and Annie in the Deluxe Holiday Edition of Christmas in Camelot, from the beloved Magic Tree House series. With a larger size and new lush, gorgeous illustrations accompanying the magical adventure, this edition is sure to be treasured by readers. Perfect for fans of the series and those new to it.  

How Winston Delivered Christmas 
An Advent Story Told on Twenty-Four-and-a-Half Chapters 
Alex T Smith 
September 17, 2019 
Silver Dolphin Books 

An advent story told in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters!  

When a mouse named Winston finds a lost letter addressed to Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, he sets off an unforgettable journey to personally deliver the letter to Santa! How Winston Delivered Christmas is a heart-warming story, organized in twenty-four and a half chapters, to share during the countdown to Christmas. Starting on December 1st, children can read a chapter a day, and each chapter is followed with a fun and festive holiday activity to complete. This illustrated advent story tells of the adventures of an adorable mouse and how a good deed can lead to a very happy ending. 

How Winston Delivered Christmas is a fun and heartwarming way for little readers to countdown the days until Christmas. With a sweet story told in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters, and a neat holiday active after each chapter, this gorgeously illustrated and beautifully crafted book will keep little readers delighted and excited all December long. 

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao 
By Kat Zhang 
Illustrated by Charlene Chua 
October 1, 2019 
Simon and Schuster 

Meet the funny, fierce, and fearless Amy Wu, who is determined to make a perfect bao bun today. Can she rise to the occasion? 

Amy loves to make bao with her family. But it takes skill to make the bao taste and look delicious. And her bao keep coming out all wrong. 

Then she has an idea that may give her a second chance…Will Amy ever make the perfect bao? 

Readers get ready to meet your new favorite picture book heroine: the adorable and determined Amy Wu! Kat Zhang’s Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao is a charming and sweet story about family, tradition, perseverance, and yummy bao. Zhang’s amusing and heartfelt storytelling and Chua’s irresistibly cute and engaging illustrations combine together to create the most deliciously delightful tale that readers will gobble up! 


**I received copies of the titles above for review/feature purposes. All thoughts, opinions, reviews are my own.


Win a copy of Pick A Pumpkin!
Candlewick is generously offering two copies of this picture book during their #PickAPumpkin Contest and to enter all you have to do is share your own pumpkin picking adventures on social media.
-US/CAN only, no PO boxes
-ends 10/25/19
-two winners will each get one copy
-winners will be emailed and must claim prizes within 48 hours
-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen prizes
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. We don't get a pumpkin anymore. Good luck to those who do.

    ReplyDelete

Hey there cupcake! You look lovely today and I can tell you're thinking very smarticle thinky thoughts....so go ahead and post 'em!

After much thought and only recently being introduced to blog awards and blogger tagging, I'm going to have to declare this an award/tag free blog. I'm honored, humbled, and so very grateful for simply being considered for an award, but I simply do not have the time to return the favor. If I could, I'd award y'all with dozens of yummy cupcakes ;) Thanks for understanding.