Christmas Gifting: Picture Book Series

As mentioned yesterday, I am going through our circulation records here at the library to see what the most popular books have been this year, in hopes of sparking some Christmas gift ideas. Today I start looking at what we call the "easies", or picture books. Many of our most popular are part of an ongoing series, so we'll begin with those. 

Curious George swept everyone away, taking the top three spots, and ten of the top 40! Most popular were the original, Curious George Feeds the Animals, and

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There's just something about that irrepressible little guy getting into trouble without ever meaning to, that speaks to pretty much every child. You can find everything from stuffed Georges to cocoa mugs to clothing to alarm clocks to gift with the books.

Fancy Nancy is another continual favorite, with picture books, early readers, and a chapter book series (I have been pleased with the chapter books, which are good in their own right - not just coasting along on the popularity of the character.)

This has been our most popular title:

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and of course it's perfect for Christmas. Gift this one with an ornament making kit, or several in the series with a collection of accessories or glittery art materials.

Another series that is standing the test of time are Numeroff's "If You Give a..." series:

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These lead well into writing activities. Maybe grab a couple blank books at the dollar store and write on the first page, "If you take (child's name) to the (favorite location)...", then finish the story together over cocoa and cookies!

And who can't love Mo Willems' Pigeon?

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Gift the set with a pack of hot dogs. You kids will get it.

Here's another series that may last forever:

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Both the old classics and the newer titles are read over and over. Consider getting a live tree you can plant later, or decorate a tree outside for the critters, and read this title together!

The four original Pete the Cat books are checked out more than they are in:

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I saw quite a few costumes based off this one at Halloween this year! You could decorate a jacket with fun buttons all over, or buy a pair of white canvas shoes to decorate with I Love My White Shoes (that just happens to be our story time craft today!)

A personal favorite for reading out loud:

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You lose you librarian license if you don't do the voices. A stuffed kitty would go well with any of these.

Finally, one more with a predominantly female cast:

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Kids might be surprised to learn that each story has a 'life lesson' to teach - and probably won't care. The lesson is never obvious or heavy handed; the characters are realistic and endearing; and, forget the wings, who wouldn't want those boots?!

None of these are brand new series, are they? That surprised me, too! There are many other great ones out there (Llama Llama and Arthur just missed the cut), so browse around your local library to see what else they have to suggest. And, happy gifting!

A Fancy Nancy Extravaganza

Oh, my. This just came in the mail.

 

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along with two copies of this:

 

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If you don't know who Fancy Nancy is, go find a girl-child between the ages of 2 and 12, and ask. I'll wait. Got it, now? And did you find yourself getting a makeover as part of the explanation? I'll bet you look dazzling (which is fancy for eye-popping)!

 

The latter of the two is the latest in O'Connor's new chapter book series. This was a welcome addition for parents whose children were addicted to the picture books, but who are starting to grow into bigger reading endeavors. In the first, Nancy and her friend Bree solve some mini mysteries. In this, nancy has a different type of mystery question: "If the heart was just some muscle, like Mr. Dudeny said, then what made people fall in love?"

 

Like the first, this can make a good chapter-a-night family read-aloud. The chapters are a nice length, with enough of a story in themselves to provide for some entertainment and discussion. In just the first chapter, we learn how to count our own heartbeat (remember doing that in school? I could never find mine - just like one of Nancy's classmates!), and have mention of what makes the teacher so nice. There is wordplay, like "kindhearted" and "heartless". Goodness, you could form an entire home school curriculum around the book, if you were so inclined!

 

And that, to me, is especially nice to see - a little bit of substance, without being obnoxiously presented, in an entertaining story (Nancy and Bree turn their efforts towards matchmaking) that will appeal to girls of many ages (as well as boys who don't mind holding a book with a pink cover).

 

For those who are still interested in picture books, the treasury is a glorious (fancy for wonderful) way to either introduce the characters, or spend an afternoon in repose (which is fancy for relaxed) on your favorite corner of the sofa, revisiting old favorites.

 

Both books are now in print, and will soon be on the shelves at the library! Thank-you, HarperCollins, for the review copies!