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Seven children’s books to enjoy the magic of Christmas with the family
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE – With its days getting shorter, the month of December is the perfect time to gather around children’s books that immerse us in the magic of the holidays and carry values of love, joy and sharing.
But among the rich selection that publishing houses offer each year, how do you choose? Between classic tales, modern stories and beautifully illustrated albums, here are our favorites.
Noël, by Jeanne Ashbé
Christmas by Jeanne Ashbé, ed. The Leisure School
The Belgian author-illustrator Jeanne Ashbé has created a pretty picture book with hardback pages, soberly titled Noël. Here, no text, but drawings with soft contours to allow each family to appropriate and comment on the images which feature little Lou. Writing the letter to Santa, decorating the house and the tree, snacking on chocolates… With his cuddly toy, Lou accompanies little readers in all those moments that make the month of December a little special. Until the most magical of all: the discovery of gifts.
Noël by Jeanne Ashbé, ed. The Leisure School. For toddlers.
The recipe for a wonderful Christmas, by Angelique Leone and Haruka Harris
The recipe for a wonderful Christmas by Angélie Leone and Haruka Harris, ed. The Leisure School
Written by Angélique Leone and illustrated by Haruka Harris, this cardboard album gives children (and adults) the secret to a successful Christmas. Through the eyes of a little fox named Timothée, children discover how to prepare for the end of year celebrations, from making a salt dough star to making homemade shortbread. Without forgetting the most important thing: wrapping up in a blanket to listen to stories before Santa Claus comes.
La recipe for a wonderful Christmas by Angélique Leone and Haruka Harris, eds. The Leisure School. From 2 years old.
Bolduc’s Incredible Christmas, by Céline Kallmann and Louis Thomas
Bolduc’s Incredible Christmas by Céline Kallmann and Louis Thomas, ed. Flammarion Youth
In this album by Céline Kallmann and Louis Thomas, the hero is not Santa Claus but Bolduc, his “chief elf”. This year, Bolduc is entrusted with a somewhat special mission: that of finding a gift for Santa Claus. But what to give to the world’s greatest gift specialist? A games console? A soccer ball? A recipe book? Helped by the other elves, Bolduc will discover that the perfect gift is not necessarily the one that costs the most, but the one that comes from the heart. Enough to remind children that Christmas is above all a holiday to celebrate the pleasure of being with those we love.
Bolduc’s Incredible Christmas by Céline Kallmann and Louis Thomas, ed. Flammarion Youth. From 3 years old.
My little Santa Claus, by Gabrielle Vincent
My little Santa Claus by Gabrielle Vincent, ed. Grasset Youth
Jewel of the youth edition, My little Santa was published for the first time in 1994 and is again available in bookstores from Editions Grasset Jeunesse. Under the pseudonym Gabrielle Vincent, Brussels painter Monique Martin tells the story of a little Santa Claus, descended from the sky on a completely white December 24. When little Magali realizes that he doesn’t even have a small gift for himself or for the others, it’s she who decides to give him one. Delicately illustrated in pencil and watercolor, this Christmas tale full of tenderness reverses the roles to address with children the notions of sharing and generosity.
My little Santa by Gabrielle Vincent, ed. Grasset Youth. From 3 years old.
Christmas in my heart, by Alessandro Montagnana
Christmas in my heart by Alessandro Montagnana, ed. Saltimbanque
How can we help children understand the spirit of Christmas, the warmth, joy and well-being that characterize this very special time of the year? The Italian author Alessandro Montagnana gives us a clue with A heart in winter. In this children’s story, we meet Renne who, on New Year’s Eve approaching, wants to go home to install the decorations and prepare for the party. But his plan is undermined by his friends, who all ask for his help to wrap gifts or install garlands. Fortunately, Renne will learn that mutual aid always pays off and that nothing is more precious than friendship.
Christmas in my heart by Alessandro Montagnana, ed. Saltimbanque. From 3 years old.
Snowdrop, a Christmas story, by Emmanuel Lacaye and Grégoire Solotaref
Perce-Neige by Emmanuel Lacaye and Grégoire Solotaref, ed. The Leisure School
While there are a plethora of books about Christmas aimed at little ones, it’s not always easy to find works that continue to delight older children, whether they still believe in Santa Claus or not. Fortunately, there are nuggets that have the power to keep the magic alive in their eyes. This is the case of Snowdrop by Emmanuel Lacaye and Grégoire Solotaref. Behind the superb red and gold cover, hides an adventure tale: the story of Perce-Neige, a little girl who, while taking a walk in the woods, falls into a crevasse and lands in the middle of the kingdom de Noëlbourg, where the Noël Brothers and their elves live. But if life is sweet in this fairy kingdom, it is also strictly forbidden to humans… Will Snowdrop manage to hide her true nature and, above all, return home safe and sound?
Snowdrop, a Christmas storyby Emmanuel Lacaye and Grégoire Solotaref, ed. The Leisure School. From 4 years old.
It’s Christmas today
It’s Christmas Today by Hannah Barnaby and Joao Fazenda, eds. Phaidon
How do we celebrate Christmas in Australia, Greece, Ukraine? Why do people give each other apples as gifts in China? And what do we decorate the tree with in Peru? Curious little ones will find the answers to all these questions in this pretty tree-shaped book. Designed like an Advent calendar, with a countdown starting ten days before Christmas, It’s Christmas today invites young readers to travel and discover traditions from around the world. Once read, the book can then be displayed and used as decoration in the house. Enough to help the most impatient to wait until December 24.
It’s Christmas todaytraditions of all countries, ed. Phaidon. From 6 years old.
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