Merry Christmas, My Darling Dear by Amy Kavelaris

Anyone else have Christmas songs running through their heads constantly? My daughter has already searched out every single Christmas station on our car radio and scrutinized them until she found her favorite. (When we drive, it's longer distance.) 

Today's read keeps this Christmas spirit flowing. I was drawn in by the cover—it's so calming and festive. I was surprised to learn that it's part of a row of books from this author, which center around this deer and her fawn. It's also a religious read, which gives it extra marks for me. 

So, let's dive in and see what these pages hold!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY DARLING DEAR

by Amy Kavelaris

Tommy Nelson

Picture Book   /   Holiday  /  Religious

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

Step into a winter wonderland filled with beautiful artwork of woodland animals and flower crowns as you celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with your little ones. Merry Christmas, My Darling Dear follows a baby and mama deer who discover that Christmas festivities, decorations, and presents are reminders of the greatest gift of all—the birth of God’s Son.

When you string lights on your tree, remember Jesus, the Light of the World. And when you watch snow falling gently down, remember God sent His Son down to earth to be with us. Let each gift you give be a reminder of the greatest gift, the gift of our Savior. This baby and mama deer delight over each Christmasy moment as they wander through the snowy forest, enjoy Christmas activities, and encounter a beautiful church and its nativity scene.

Filled with whimsical illustrations from beloved author and artist Amy Kavelaris, this picture book

• is for ages 4 to 8;
• shows the value in Christmas festivities and how they point to the true reason for Christmas, the celebration of Jesus’ birth; and
• is a great gift for Christmas and Advent as well as baby showers during the Christmas season.

See the wonder of the Christmas season through your child’s eyes as you teach them that each moment is a celebration of God’s Son.

Check out these other books from Amy Kavelaris:

• Good Night, My Darling Dear
• Good Morning, Little One

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Calm and love swirl together with gorgeous illustrations to bring across warm, Christmas feelings.

A mother deer and her fawn wander through the forest in a loving manner, as the mother expresses her care for her child. The special moments and meaning of Christmas slide in along the way to create a gentle and heart-filled read for those more quiet moments.

This is written in rhyme and carefully worded so as to keep it meaningful and short for even less patient listeners. The rhymes flow smoothly and build the calming atmosphere, while delivering the wholesome words to bring across the meaning of Christmas. But these pages really sparkle and shine thanks to the beautiful illustrations. They bring each scene across with tons of emotion, while also offering young listeners little things to discover. It's patient and never busy as each scene invites in. It's a book to snuggle up with from beginning to end.

The message of Christmas and Jesus' birth weaves in naturally, while letting the warm relationship between mother and child stay front and center. The other forest animals add a sense of friendship and community. While the illustrations stick to a more realistic, natural style, there are human add-ins here and there to invite to fantasy and familiarity, and yet, it never feels out of place.

It's a lovely read for the holidays and works especially well for calmer settings or even as a bedtime read.

And here she is...

Amy (Kavs) Kavelaris work can be spotted in Target, Walmart, Anthropologie, Altar'd State, and Better Homes & Gardens, as well as in homes around the globe. She has collaborated with countless brands, including Skechers Shoes and Pampers, and served as a judge for the Miss America Foundation. Amy's impressionistic, painting style invites her viewers into a charming, and delightfully whimsical experience. Amy and her husband live in the Midwest with their three small girls. See her art at www.bloomprintsstudio.com and @amykavs on Instagram

Olivia's Jokes by Eve Heide Bine-Stock

OLIVIA'S JOKES

by Eve Heidi Bine-Stock

Illustrated by Antara Majumder

Picture Book

ages 5 to 8

40 pages

Olivia was on a mission to spread joy in her small town. Every day, she would set up a sign on the corner of her yard with a new joke. Passersby couldn't help but stop, read the sign, and burst into laughter. But one morning, Olivia's heart sank as she saw her sign had been smashed in two. Who could have done such a cruel thing? What will Olivia do now? Find out in this heartwarming tale of resilience and community. Buy now before the price goes up!

GOODREADS     /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

While quirky, cute jokes bring smiles, an important message about bringing joy comes across, too.

Olivia has an idea. She sets up a sign board in her yard and writes a new joke on it every day. Individuals stop by every day, read her latest joke, and laugh...and it's creating a lovely atmosphere. One day, however, the sign is smashed into pieces. Not only doesn't Olivia know who was mean enough to do it, but she's not sure if she should put up a new one or not. 

This is a simple, straight-forward tale with smiles and heart. Olivia is an adorable sheep, and her joke sign is easy to get behind and root for. Not only are listeners/readers sure to snort a smile or roll their eyes at the cute jokes, but they might start wondering if they could do something like that themselves. When the sign breaks, it comes across with the right frustration, and that without growing mean or vindictive. It simply brings the right amount of sadness, and then, determination. The message is wholesome the enter way through.

The text is concise and simple enough for readers, who have a good handle on their words, to pick up and try themselves. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and hold just enough details to make them interesting without growing too complex. It fits the story nicely. The only thing I missed was a few more jokes on the board, even while it turns to the breakage problem, but this wasn't an issue either. The jokes were just cute.

It makes a nice read aloud for individual as well as group settings.

The First Christmas by N.T. Wright

I'm swinging back into Christmas mode with today's read and taking a more traditional dive. This book should deliver the Christmas story in a way, which snuggles up to the original description found in the Bible. I'm excited to see how the author tackles this and am curious about the illustrations, since other reviews give them quite the praise.

Let's snuggle down with a tea and see how this book handles it!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

The Bible's Nativity Story

by N.T. Wright

Illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

Tommy Nelson

Picture Book   /  Holiday  /  Religious

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

Keep Jesus in the center of your family’s Christmas and Advent celebrations with this beautiful nativity storybook from N.T. Wright, one of the world’s most loved and trusted Bible scholars.

With the big-picture approach that readers worldwide have learned to trust, N.T. Wright weaves together the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth into a thoughtful, hope-filled telling of the first Christmas, from Gabriel’s announcement to the family’s return from Egypt.

The First Christmas features: 

a faithful telling of the nativity story

gorgeous painted art from award-winning illustrator Helena Perez Garcia

a resource page showing how Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in baby Jesus’ coming

a deluxe book with a presentation page

A beautiful keepsake gift for children and adults alike, The First Christmas celebrates Christ’s birth with authenticity, beauty, and joy.

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With care, this book introduces the Christmas story to young listeners.

Starting with the angel's visit to Mary to announce her pregnancy, these pages tell about the birth of Christ. The author sticks close to the Bible and lets the story come across with the same feel and style. Still, the author makes sure to word it just right for younger listeners to understand and enjoy. While the text tells the story, the illustrations let it come to life visually. These also carry enough of a traditional feel to match with the text style, while also adding a lovely, artistic touch. Young listeners can pick this up on their own and follow the story visually. Or those readers, who have a pretty good grip on their words, can go through the tale on their own.

At the end, there are several Bible verses, which give a quick glance at a few prophecies concerning Jesus' birth from the Old Testament. This works especially nice for older readers and adults, since it demonstrates how Jesus' birth was a fulfillment of the promise from the Old Testament.

In other words, this is a lovely read for anyone looking for a book, which concentrates on the Christmas story as loved from the Bible.

And here they are...

N. T. Wright is the former bishop of Durham and senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. He is one of the world's leading New Testament scholars and the award-winning author of many books, including After You Believe, Surprised by Hope, Simply Christian, Interpreting Paul, and The New Testament in Its World, as well as the Christian Origins and the Question of God series.

Helena Perez Garcia is a Spanish illustrator whose work has appeared across magazines, newspapers, packaging, and books for children and adults.

Her illustrations are conceptual, whimsical, and rich in detail and color. Helena’s primary medium is gouache, and her main sources of inspiration are art, literature, and cinema.

After completing a Fine Arts Degree in Spain, Helena relocated to London in 2012, where she lived and worked for six years. During this period and driven by the artistic history and cultural influences of the city and the country, Helena developed her characteristic style. She returned to Spain in 2018.

All the Way Around the Sun by Xixi Tian

I'm taking a breath from my line of Christmas reads and looking at a more emotional read today with some heavier themes. This is the second book from this author, and after her first being so well received, I'm looking forward to seeing what this new tale will hold. I'm expecting lots of emotions and struggles...and quite a bit of romance? It does sink into dealing with the loss of a brother (so many loss books this year), and I'm hoping to does this well.

But let's just open it up and see what the story holds.

ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SUN

by Xixi Tian

Quill Tree Books

YA Contemporary

304 pages

From the acclaimed author of This Place is Still Beautiful comes an evocative, achingly romantic road trip story about grief, diasporic identities, and deep-buried secrets that haunt us, perfect for fans of Past Lives and The Farewell.

Stella Chen’s life ground to a halt when her brother unexpectedly passed away a year ago. Raised together by their grandmother in the Chinese countryside before rejoining their parents in the United States, his absence destroys the connective tissue in her family. With another jarring move her senior year, from rural Illinois to unfamiliar surroundings in San Diego, she is left alone and adrift in her family’s suffocating silence and the void of unanswered questions around her brother’s death.

So when Stella’s parents force her to join her estranged childhood friend Alan Zhao for a college tour all over California, Stella dreads it. Alan is a reminder of everything Stella wishes she could be — popular, gregarious, unburdened — and a reminder of how lost she is.

As this road trip takes Stella and Alan down beautiful coastlines and through fraught family dynamics, Stella can’t help but feel the spark of why she and Alan were once so close. Before long, they find themselves pulled into each other’s orbits, forcing unspoken feelings and long-hidden truths into the light.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Emotions accompanied by carefully woven prose create a read, which touches the heart and provokes thought.

Stella's world turned upside down the day her brother suddenly passed away. He'd gone to college and never returned. Now, a senior herself, she's facing a move across the US right then when she's turning in...or supposedly turning in...applications for college. She's already struggling to get her life picked back together, while not letting her parents know how much she's truly fallen apart. When they insist she meet up with an earlier friend, who now also lives in the area, to visit colleges, she's not ready. Especially since that friend was once more, and she's not nearly ready to rekindle anything on the romance end.

This read is for those who love to dive deep into the heart and tackle difficult emotions with the ache and struggles involved. It's written in first person and immediately lets the reader feel the weight of Stella's situation. So, it's not a light read. Stella goes through the motions of life, keeping a detachment to the world around her, which is supported by the writing style as it leans toward telling what's going on rather than bringing each scene to life. Instead, it concentrates on Stella's thoughts and emotions.  Flashbacks allow readers to slip into Stella's history and to better understand her point of view, and this weaves nicely. The detached atmosphere remains in these sections, too though, when letting the reader live the moment might have been the better choice, since Stella herself was alive at those moments. But the lovely prose also lures in and snuggles nicely with the emotional read.

While this is described as Stella rekindling a romance, it's not really a true romance read. Rather, it's more about the meeting of two individuals, who are dealing with their own shadows. They connect, offer support by opening up slowly, and find a little romance along the way. This works very well for the book's intentions and makes sure the meaning of this read, Stella's battle through the grief,  doesn't get undermined. 

As an action girl, this read was a little slower than I prefer, but those readers, who love prose and digging deep into a character's heart are going to enjoy every page.

And here she is...

XiXi Tian was born in China and immigrated to the United States when she was a year old. She grew up in central Illinois, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in history, and then attended Harvard Law School. She is a writer, lawyer, avid reader, and lifelong Midwesterner no matter where she lives. Her debut novel, This Place Is Still Beautiful, was an Indies Introduce and Indie Next Pick and received five starred reviews. You can visit her online at xixiwrites.com.

Snowflakes for Christmas by Vanessa Bergeron

Usually, I'd post a middle grade read since it's Monday, but I'm a bit short on those this month. Instead, I have another Christmas read for the picture book audience, which comes down from Canada. This one, I believe, is also available in French. I'm expecting a warming tale and lovely illustrations.

Let's see if this one leads to winter dreaming or not!

SNOWFLAKES FOR CHRISTMAS

by Vanessa Bergeron

Illustrated by Amelie Martel

CrackBoom! Books

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

An enchanting Christmas story full of hope, highlighting the power of community and the magic that lies in mindfulness.

In the snowy village of Flurria, everyone is too busy to notice that the snow has stopped falling―except young Yuka. Determined to save her beloved white Christmas, Yuka sets out on a mission that will inspire her neighbors to look up, come together, and rediscover the beauty of winter.

Snowflakes for Christmas is more than a seasonal read―it's a gentle reminder of the joy found in being present and the strength that grows from community. With poetic language, magical winter imagery, and a powerful message of awareness and unity, this book is perfect for families, classrooms, and holiday gifting.

Bring the magic of mindfulness into your child’s holiday season with this heartfelt winter tale.

1. Enchanting Winter Tale: A poetic and heartwarming story about a girl determined to bring back the snow to her distracted village―perfect for cozy Christmas storytime.
2. Promotes Mindfulness & Awareness: Encourages children to pause, observe, and appreciate the world around them during the busy holiday season.
3. Ideal for Classroom & SEL Programs: Great for group discussions about community, hope, and environmental care; supports social-emotional learning.
4. Beautifully Illustrated: Immersive winter landscapes and expressive characters bring the magical village of Flurria to life.
5. For Curious Readers Ages 4–8: Designed for read-aloud and early independent reading; ideal for Pre-K to Grade 3 learners.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

With the magical touch of Christmas and the North Pole, this tale weaves a touching story about a girl and her hopes.

The snowy village of Flurria is busy with all sorts of Christmas preparations, which means that everyone...even Santa...has their heads down as they work to get things done. Only one girl, Yuka, has noticed that the snow has stopped falling. Unlike everyone else, Yuka enjoys gazing upwards at the world around her, and she's determined to make everyone realize that there's a problem. Maybe, she can even help them remember to enjoy the beauty of winter.

From Yuka's bright hope to the lovely illustrations, so many aspects of this book make it a lovely read to pick up around the holiday season. While it's never said that this is the North Pole directly (and it's actually called Flurria), Santa, his elves, and the reindeer make it clear what is keeping everyone so busy. Then, there's Yuka, who enjoys lying back in the snow. The illustrations show her as a friendly, cheerful girl, even when worries arise. It makes her easy to root for and sympathize with the entire way through. The messaging in the story comes across clearly, while embracing the love of community, working together, and remembering to enjoy the world around you.

This is a book, which can be read again and again, and the illustrations invite listeners to take a look themselves. Each scene is lovely and draws in. The text fits well as a read-aloud to the age group and should hold the interest of more reluctant listeners fine. It's written in an unique mix of regular text and rhyme, which is endearing but doesn't flow as it should. Also, the mindfulness is a gentle message, while the sense of community really shines. Which makes it a lovely read for classroom and group settings.

It's a lovely read with a touching tale for the holidays.