Hello Everyone,
Happy holidays from sunny Florida. December is a busy month for many people. There are people celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa this month. That is alot of giving, sharing, and eating together.
Let us start with Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. This year Hanukkah starts on December 20th and ends at sunset on December 28th. It is an eight day Jewish observance thant remembers the Jewish people's struggle for religious freedom. Here are some books about Hanukkah to share with toddlers and preschoolers: Hanukkah A Counting Book in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish by Emily Sper, The Hanukkah Hop ! by Erica Silverman, and Elmo's Little Dreidel by Naomi Kleinberg.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. This is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. He is the the central figure in Christianity.
This is a joyful time of the year for Christians. To help celebrate Christmas, you might want to share these books with little ones:
Slide and Find Christmas (a novelty book) by Priddybooks, Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, and Guess Who's Coming to Santa's for Dinner? by Tomie dePaola.
Kwanzaa is a celebration of African culture, heritage, and community. It begins on December 26th and last seven days. You might like to share these books with your children to learn about Kwanzaa: The Gifts of Kwanzaa by Synthia Saint James and My First Kwanzaa, by Karen Karz, and My First Kwanzaa by Debora M. Newton Chocolate.
All books mentioned in this blog, can be checked out from the Lee County Library System. You can enjoy reading and eating this month. No matter what your holiday, I am sure you will be enjoying food. Here is a tropical fruit salad from Florida. Cut up papaya, slice a couple of bananas, and cut up a pineapple into chunks. Drizzel with honey and toss gently. Yumm!
Happy Reading!
Ms. Naomi