December OSCAR - Old Ottawa South

Page 50
Kaleidoscope Kids’ Books
With evenings turning darker
and colder, this time of
year compels us to light
the fire, snuggle up on the couch
and settle in for some family reading
time. Here are a few read-aloud suggestions
you might want to consider
adding to your collection:
A Pocket Full of Posies by Sally
Mavor is a stunning collection of
nursery rhymes – each rhyme has
been lovingly stitched with rich fabric
and colourful threads; ornamented
with everyday objects such as acorns,
buttons, beads, driftwood, stones and
shells. Page after page of classic
nursery rhymes are true works of art.
This will be a book your family can
pore over and over and pass down to
the next generation.
From the lovely folks at Priddy
books comes a new title, Read-along
Fairy Tales, which showcases nine
magical fairy tales in a large board
book format for the enjoyment of
small hands. From The Gingerbread
Man to Jack and the Beanstalk, each
story can also be enjoyed on the accompanying
read-along CD. Sturdy,
with tactile highlights.
A small, but mighty, winter board
book has just arrived on our shelves
– one of staff member Gemini’s favourites
to recommend during the
holidays. Can You See Little Bear?
By James Mayhew and Jackie Morris
features sweet rhyming text, luminous
illustrations and a look and find
journey through a series of colourful
settings in different countries. This
looks like a new classic to us!
Some of our favourite story treas-
The OSCAR - OUR 38 th YEAR DEC 2011
Baby It’s Cold Outside - Warm Read for Cold Nights
uries come from Barefoot Books publishing
– Fireside Stories: Tales for
a Winter’s Eve by Caitlin Matthews
and Helen Cann is no exception.
Each of the eight world tales in this
book celebrates a different aspect of
the winter months. As the first snow
falls, read about a group of courageous
Russian animals guarding their
winter cabin against hungry wolves.
The winter stories end with a Canadian
tale of shivering animals setting
out to steal a bag of warmth from the
world above to keep winter away forever.
Richly illustrated throughout!
Alison McGhee, author of the
NY Times bestseller, Someday, has
written a new winter title this year.
Making a Friend is an instructional
tale on how to make a snowman.
Clean, cold, white snow! Snow for
sledding. Snow for catching on your
tongue. Snow for making a SNOW-
MAN! Is there anything as wonderful
as SNOW? Is there any better friend
than a SNOWMAN? Snow isn’t forever,
though. The wind shifts, the
weather warms and snow melts into
spring. The Snowman has become
something else—the fog, the rain.
But, how can this boy forget his good
friend? He doesn’t…and he doesn’t
have to.
The National Geographic Treasury
of Greek Mythology retold by
Donna Jo Napoli and magically illustrated
by Christina Balit will help
your family to discover the fantastic
stories of gods and goddesses, heroes
and monsters. Lyrical tales take you
from the birth of the Olympian gods
to the action-packed Trojan War, and
each outlining the magical and mystical
lives of charismatic characters
that have captivated audiences since
the ancient times. Includes a lush
family tree of the gods and goddesses,
sidebars that put the stories into
historical and cultural context as well
as a map of Greece and the Mediterranean
that lays out the geography of
each story.
For families who just can’t get
enough history (you know who you
are – we count our family in this noble
group…), The Story of Britain from
the Norman Conquest to the European
Union may be just the fireside
reading you’ve been searching for.
This engaging history of Britain by
Patrick Dillon with illustrations by P.
J. Lynch recounts the dramatic story
of a nation – from the Magna Carta to
the discovery of DNA, from Shakespeare
to suffragettes. The thrilling
story of kings and queens, battles and
truces, discoveries and inventions,
expansion and diplomacy. The history
of the mother country is brought
to life!
With the weather turning snowy
and the festive season approaching,
what better way to fulfill winter wishes
than with a story? New titles and
holiday reads are arriving daily – stop
by for a guided tour of what’s new
and notable.