Wonderful Winter Reading
Warm up with new books this December Waddle! Waddle! By James Proimos Best for: Ages 4-8
Comic book-style illustrations, bright colors and quick text propel at a fast pace this book about finding friendship. Young readers will eagerly engage with the bold illustrations that convey big emotions. They’ll worry along with the main penguin as he struggles to find his new dancing friend. The other penguins he meets along the way are interesting, but they don’t dance. He keeps on looking until he finds a polar bear by mistake. That’s when all the penguins he has met on his journey show up to save the day.
Waddle! Waddle! is a great book to engage children on picture walks and in read alone time.
What’s good: The “friend reveal” will make children laugh. What’s bad: Comic book style makes it difficult for read aloud story time. The Thing About Yetis By Vin VogelBest for: Ages 4-8
Definitely not abominable, these cute yetis show us that fun can be had in every season. That yetis would enjoy snowball fights, building snow castles and ice skating is a no-brainer. However, when the cold drags on, hot chocolate is running low and the winter blahs begin taking hold, yetis—like humans—miss the warm summer months too. Vogel takes the reader from the stark white winter landscapes into lush green summer environments as the yetis remember building sandcastles, watching fireflies and playing on slip-n-slides.
These adorable snowmen are out in time for children to enjoy their antics all through the winter.
What’s good: The yeti facial expressions will engage readers and draw them into the story. What’s bad: A little simplistic for some children, this tale is best for the youngest set of readers. Revenge of the Angels By Jennifer Ziegler Best for: Ages 8-12
Fans of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will enjoy this screwball comedy. Like its predecessor, Revenge of the Flower Girls, this story rotates narration between triplets Dawn, Delaney and Darby. The girls want the roles of the wise men in the upcoming Christmas pageant, but alas, they’re cast as angels. The triplets are not allowed to be the wise men because they’re girls. That revelation sets them scheming, plotting and planning to set everything right. The antics are fun, daring and keep the pages turning.
What’s good: Children will relate to the triplets and laugh through almost every chapter. What’s bad: Some of the antics are over the top, but that just makes them more fun.