KWANZAA

KWANZAA
"It's Kwanzaa Time" by author/artist Synthia Saint James (Little Simon/Simon & amp; Schuster, $5.99, ages 3-6).Saint James' bright colors and simple shapes evoke the wonder and energy of Kwanzaa. Using a "lift-the-flap" format, readers get a short introduction to each of the seven basic concepts of the week-long Kwanzaa celebration.
CHRISTMAS
"The Christmas Cobwebs" by Odds Bodkin with Terry Widener, illustrator (Harcourt, $16, ages 4-7).The poignant story of how a group of spiders gives a suddenly poor family a Christmas to remember.
h"Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury" by Jan Brett (Putnam, $50, ages 4-10)At $50 it's pricey but also destined to be a family holiday heirloom. Gathering seven of Brett's Christmas-time tales such as "Christmas Trolls" and "The Mitten," this coffee-table-sized book shows off the exquisitely detailed artwork for which Brett is famous.
"Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel" by Shirley Climo (HarperCollins, $15.95, ages 4-7)The reworking of an old folktale about how tinsel came to be used to decorate Christmas trees. The illustrations by Jane Manning sparkle as they show how an old woman has a magical Christmas, thanks to some industrious spiders.
"Who Is Coming To Our House?" by Joseph Slate (Putnam, $6.99, ages 1-3)A simple story of animals readying their stable for the Holy Family. The lovely illustrations by Ashley Wolff add a touch of humor
"A Christmas Treasury: Very Merry Stories and Poems" by Kevin Hawkes (HarperCollins, $16.95, all ages).A beautiful gift from illustrator Kevin Hawkes. Includes a tasty morsel from "Wind in the Willows" as old pals Mole and Rat enjoy a holiday meal with their new friends. In "Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn," Mr. Dog, posing as Santa Claus, shares his generous spirit with his friends and learns about the gift of giving. Hawkes' drawings, mostly of happy Christmas Eve preparations, complement each story and all seem to bask in the same warm glow.
"The Christmas Promise" by Susan Bartoletti with illustrations by David Christiana (Blue Sky/Scholastic, $15.95, ages 4 and up)Captures the emotion and the small glimmer of hope of a Depression-era Christmas. Retro-style illustrations in black and white with touches of color capture both the hardship and happiness shared by a father and daughter who ride the rails in search of work and finally find a bit of warmth and safety as Christmas approaches.
"Mim's Christmas Jam" by Andrea Davis Pinkney with illustrations by artist Brian Pinkney (Harcourt, $16, ages 4-8).A look at the holiday traditions of a special family with a bit of history about the African-Americans and Italian and Irish immigrants who built the New York City subway at the turn of the century. Story details how an African-American man uses a taste of his wife's homemade holiday jam to persuade his bosses to declare a work break for the Christmas holiday.
"We Were There" by Eve Bunting (Clarion, $16, ages 5 and up)The story of the other, overlooked creatures who were probably at the stable where Jesus was born: snakes, cockroaches, rats, bats, scorpions and spiders. While this may sound creepy, Bunting manages to work her usual literary magic to craft a story showcasing the idea that God's love embraces us all. Wendell Minor's illustrations are gems of detail and color.
"A Shepherd's Gift" by Mary Calhoun with illustrations by Raul Colon (HarperCollins, $15.95, ages 4-9)Unusual and textured illustrations and gentle text tells about a simple shepherd boy who is searching for his lost lamb when he stumbles upon a newborn child in a hillside stable and is moved to present the baby with his sheep.
"The Little Boy's Christmas Gift" John Speirs (Abrams, $16.95, ages 4-8)Medieval artistry and Christian tradition combine to tell the new tale of a gardener's son who has an unusual gift to give a newborn king.
"The Christmas Story" by Deborah Chancellor with illustrations by Julie Downing (DK, $7.95, baby to preschool)An easy-to-read, glowingly illustrated story of the birth of Jesus that makes a good introduction for toddlers.
"How Santa Lost His Job" by Stephen Krensky with illustrations by S.D. Schindler (Simon & amp; Schuster, $15, ages 4-7)A humorous look at what happened when the elves tried to replace Santa with a machine. A sequel to the much-praised "How Santa Got His Job."
h"The Animals' Christmas Carol" by Helen Ward (Milbrook Press, $17.95, ages 4-8).Inspired by the medieval song, "The Friendly Beasts," Ward gives voice to the animals in the Nativity story, who cooperate to guard the sleeping baby: dog brings the sheep; moth avoids the candle's flame to keep it steady; mongoose keeps poisonous snakes away. The animals, including a bear and lion, are drawn at a kid's eye level.
"The Christmas Crocodile" by Bonny Becker (Aladdin/Simon & amp; Schuster, $6.99, ages 4-8)Details the domestic disaster that results when a gift crocodile is delivered to the wrong address. The illustrations by David Small, this year's Caldecott Medalist, gleefully portray the damage wrought by the crocodile's insatiable appetite.h"Baboushka: A Christmas Folktale From Russia" retold by Arthur Scholey with illustration by Helen Cann (Candlewick, $15.99, ages 4-8)A tale of missed opportunities. The stenciled pages and traditional-style, brightly colored illustrations complement the text about a peasant woman who spends her life "preparing" -- for what, no one knows. While the villagers are excited about a star in the night sky, she mutters: "All this fuss for a star! ... I don't even have time to look. I'm so behind, I must work all night!" But a knock at her door reveals three kings in need of a place to rest on their journey to see a newborn king. When the kings leave, they invite Baboushka to go along. Baboushka says she will follow "tomorrow." But when she finally sets out, she can't find the kings or the child. As she continues to search for them, the woman leaves gifts at the homes of sleeping children.
"Little Porcupine's Christmas" by Joseph Slate with illustrations by Felicia Bond (HarperCollins, $9.95, ages 3-6)he night of the play arrives and when there is no star in the sky or on the tree, Porcupine finds his moment to shine when on the night of the big play, there is no star in the sky or on the tree.
"Santa's Toys" by Sam Williams and Tim Gill (Sterling, $12.95, ages 3-6) Santa Claus is under the tree, unable to resist looking inside a dollhouse or playing with a toy train that rolls across the page of this pull-the-tab book that captures the sheer joy of Christmas toys.
HANUKKAH
"My First Hanukkah Book" (DK, $6.95, ages 1-4)In this chunky board book, Hanukkah is presented through a series of sparkling photographs of children joyfully celebrating the eight days of the holiday.
"Chanukah Lights Everywhere" by Michael Rosen (Harcourt, $16, ages 4-7) A young boy sees signs of the holiday wherever he looks. Rosen's lovely story also offers a lesson in tolerance as the young boy notes that his best friend celebrates Christmas and adds: "Dad says that Chanukah is also about the joy of different religions sharing a street." Melissa Iwai's illustrations play nicely on the theme of lights.
"Zigazak!: A Magical Hanukkah Night" by Eric Kimmel with Jon Goodell, artist (Doubleday, $15.95, ages 5-8)Two mean devils try to spoil a town's Hanukkah by bewitching the dreidels to sprout arms and legs, the latkes to fly and the menorah candles to explode like fireworks.