When Santa Wrote Back, words by Nathan Christopher and pictures by Pablo Pino. Sourcebooks Kids, Raincoast.2025. $19.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Santa, 

If this is a joke, I am not Ho Ho Ho-ing.
The suit doesn't suit me. My bedroom is snowing! 
Your reindeer are grazing - they started at dawn! 
My dad's getting mad that our lawn is half gone.

The sleigh is illegally parked on the street,
and pigeons are pooping all over the seat.
PLEASE come and take all your stuff back today!
(And also, confirm: are my gifts on the way?)"

Jake's first letter to Santa sets the tone for the back-and-forth correspondence that the two have throughout the course of this timely book. Many kids will be writing their letters to Santa in days to come. Jake asks a few questions about the North Pole; then goes on to let Santa know he has cleaned his room a few times in the past year. He also suggests that Santa look carefully at the list Jake is including in his letter. 

It's easy to see that Jake is not likely the guy to inspire Santa with his many requests. When he doesn't get an immediate reply, Jake writes again. His list is now pages long. Santa's first reply lets Jake know he is not much impressed with the tone of his letters. He ends with an assurance that his elves will be given the task of trimming the list. And, he will be watching Jake carefully in days to come. 

Conveyed in playful rhyming verses, with Jake's demands escalating while Santa does his best to let Jake know he is reading his letters carefully and is disturbed by their tone. Jake suggests that Santa take a vacation. Santa takes Jake at his word, making him his interim replacement for the Christmas season. 

"And Jake is the boss now, if you can believe it. 
When Santa gets mail, now Jake will receive it. 
So send him your wishes, ideas and questions, 
all your complaints and outrageous suggestions."       

Arriving at school the following morning is an eye-opener for Jake when kids start sharing their Christmas wishes. He is surprised to hear the spirit of generosity his classmates display. Lesson learned. His final letter to Santa is just what the big man needs to hear. Life returns to normal. Jake's Santa gift is a big surprise. All is well. 

This is a fine read aloud for December fun in early years classrooms. Energetic digital art adds to the appeal. Back matter offers tips for writing a letter to Santa.                                                                                    

Dasher and the Polar Bear, written and illustrated by Matt Tavares. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 3 and up

 

"George watched in delight as Dasher bounded
through the snow and then ... she was flying! 

George gasped. "Utterly remarkable," he said. 
After a few moments, Dasher landed. "See?" 
she said. "That's all there is to it."

"Amazing," said George. He looked longingly 
up at the sky. "I wish I could fly," he said. 

Dasher had an idea. "Maybe I can teach you," 
she exclaimed."   

This is Dasher's third Christmas adventure. Flying through the night sky one evening, she stopped to land and enjoy the spectacular beauty of the northern lights. As she watched, she did not hear a large polar bear approaching. George was contrite that he had scared Dasher and apologized. Dasher explains that she is where she is because she has been out flying. What a surprise that is for the polar bear. When Dasher demonstrates the Christmas magic, George expresses that he wishes he, too, could fly. 

Dasher is a helper. She suggests that she will teach him how. After many tries, Dasher must return home and the lesson ends. At home, she tells her Mama about George. She wonders why Christmas magic doesn't work for him. There is no easy answer. Soon, it's Christmas Eve and the reindeer team must fly Santa to the many stops he makes through the night. When the final toys have been delivered, Santa explains that they have one more stop to make. 

What a lovely surprise it is for Dasher and her friend George! Just exactly the perfect ending for the joy that being kind and thoughtful brings ... the real magic of Christmas.                                                                            

The GIFT of WORDS, written and illustrated by Peter Reynolds. Orchard Books, Scholastic. 2025. $26.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Jerome loaded his sled 
full of his favorite words
and headed to the downtown park. 

He put a call out 
to everyone to join 
him in decorating 
a tree with words.
A holiday tree. 
Ekko barked excitedly." 

Jerome is back! I'm so happy to see him again. I met him first (as we all did) in 2018 when he started collecting all those words he loved. Now, he and his rescue Ekko are keen to begin collecting words for the holidays - words that reflect the peace, hope, and joy of the season. He wants to gift the words he collects to all those who have special meaning in his life. 

His upbeat mood soon turns somber as they walk together. The words he is seeing along their path give him no pleasure: buy, sale, no parking, cheap stuff, no dogs allowed. It immediately changes how the two are feeling about the task at hand. 

"These were not holiday words. 
They did not warm his heart. 
These words left Jerome feeling cold." 

There is nothing to add to his already empty notebook. Even listening to the words people around him share make him feel uncomfortable and sad. Wanting more, an idea sparks action. Can he find the words that will make everyone feel festive and joyous? 

Racing back to look through his original collection, Jerome finds exactly what he is looking for. His sled is loaded as he heads to the park. Once there, he invites all park-goers to join him in decorating a tree with 'joyful words'. Community friends and neighbors gather to fill that tree and share wishes for a happy holiday season. It's the most memorable way to bring friends together.                                                                             

Home for Margaret, written by Denise Davy and illustrated by Berengere Delaporte. Groundwood, 2025. $21.99 ages 5 and up

 

"The next day Emma buys a red scarf with 
matching mittens and hat. She puts them
into a bag with oranges, apples and blueberry 
muffins. Mom fills another bag with bottles 
of water and blankets, and they head to the 
forest."

Weather here this week has taken a big-time dip in temperature, reminding us that November is usually this cold. It should be a reminder that many people are going to have great difficulty keeping warm. This gentle story introduces a young girl and her mom who know the meaning of caring and compassion for others. 

Emma and her mom are spending time outside in the Cherry Hill Forest. Snow covers the ground and Emma almost buries herself in it as she makes an angel there. No one else is on the trail as they hike along. They listen to the geese as they begin their migration south; Mom offers birdseed to feed the chickadees; and Emma runs off to see what the blue thing is under a nearby tree. 

To her surprise, it is a tent that looks a lot like an igloo. Inside there is a woman who has nowhere else to go. She steps out, looking cold and tired. Emma introduces herself, and asks the woman her name. It is Margaret. Mom catches up, and introduces herself as well. Emma has some questions. Margaret explains that she lives where she is, and that she does get cold. Snow surprised with its early arrival. She returns to her tent. 

At home, Emma has more questions for her social worker mother. Mom answers those questions before checking with shelters to see if there is a spot available to house Margaret. No such luck; the shelters are full. Emma has a few ideas. The bag she offers Margaret is accepted with thanks. At Christmas, Emma and her mom return with a warm coat and Christmas dinner. They learn that Margaret didn't like all the noise at an overcrowded shelter, and is hoping for a place she can call her own. 

Margaret's tent remains when Emma returns to the forest in the spring. Margaret is not there. The summer and autumn bring no change. One autumn day as they return from their hike, Emma spots a woman on the sidewalk who might just be Margaret. Hoping to help her before winter sets in once more, Mom calls a new agency. This time, the news is much better. 

An author's note explains that Margaret was a real person, a homeless woman she met one cold winter night while on assignment for her newspaper. She also offers readers a look at homelessness, and explains why it often happens. Communities are working to make conditions better, and everyone can play some small part by supporting shelters and food banks. 

Oh Dear, Look What I Got! Written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.50 ages 3 and up

 

"I went to the shop 
to get me a coat. 

Oh dear, they gave me ...

a goat! 

Oh dear, 
look what I got! 

Do I want that? 

No, I do NOT!"

Seeing the beautiful images on the front cover of this book took me right back to 1989 - the first time I ever read aloud We're Going on a Bear Hunt in my early years classroom. It was a hit, and has been ever since then. I expect this one will be the same; the same joyous text, the same appeal in the watercolor and pencil artwork. I couldn't wait to get started reading it aloud. 

The opening endpaper shows a young child with a tote bag over the arm, whistling while setting out on an errand. Readers learn immediately that the child is on the lookout for a carrot. At the first shop, the grocer offers a parrot. Those two pages set the tone for the rest of the book. The challenge for listening children is to guess what the next rhyming word could be. After each mistaken exchange, a repetitive response is: 

"Oh dear, 
look what I got!

Do I want that? 

No, I do NOT!"

It takes no time at all for little ones to start the guessing game and take part in repeating the child's response. Such fun, as page after page, the invitation is clear. Instead of a hat, the milliner offers a cat. Both parrot and cat are companions for the next stop. Along they go to the tailor where, instead of a coat, the child gets a ... 

The child and three assistants move on to another three establishments, each time surprised by the animal offered. The wriggly pup from the cup shop rewinds the earlier encounters to create chaos on a grand scale. While thinking about what to do next, there is a knock on the door ... I wonder who might be there? It's a delightfully positive ending for an entertaining and memorable romp. 

Get ready to read it again and again! What additional rhymes might the children hearing the story add?

The talents of two remarkable artists, whose words and pictures are as heartwarming and enduring as they have ever been, is a new source of wonder for children and their families.                                                                                        

Squirrel and Bird, written by Laura Baker and illustrated by Stacey Thomas. tiger tales, Penguin Random House. 2025.$24.99 ages 3 and up

"The stage is set. 
        The crowd is waiting. 

Squirrel loves a crowd, so Squirrel is 
oh-so-easy-breezy. Look at that BIG smile. 
No nerves at all. 

Bird is not relaxed in the least. 
Look, Bird is freaking out!
Maybe Squirrel should perform alone."

The elegance and texture of the cover and the high spirits of the endpapers are a visual and tactile invitation for young readers to get to the business of enjoying this tale of two friends, whose personalities are polar opposites of each other. The two are introduced as what they are: a squirrel and a bird. In following pages, readers learn that Squirrel is LOUD while Bird hardly makes a sound. 

The narrator then gets in the way of Bird's quiet responses. 

"Did you say something, Bird? 
See? Silence. 

You didn't really give 
me a chance - "

At the next turn of the page, the audience is told that while Squirrel is always busy, Bird prefers doing nothing. Could that be true? Though the two are unlike one another, they are best of friends. Together, they are making preparations for a concert. All forest denizens have been invited to come and enjoy the event. As they ready themselves to perform, it's easy to see that Squirrel is filled with excitement and confidence while Bird is literally pulsating with fear. The comparisons are repeated. Now, it is Bird's turn to have a say: ENOUGH! 

Bird shares a thoughtful comment about who the two truly are. The forest animals are surprised as Bird goes on to share that each can be quite different from what they appear to be. The narrator concedes that the opinions shared have only been a small part of who the two are. 

"We are Squirrel and Bird. 
Sometimes we are loud. 
Sometimes we are quiet. 

And that's okay 
because we can be 
whoever we want to be."

The minimal text invites emerging readers to try their hand at reading independently once they have heard the tale a number of times. The warm and detailed artwork tells a parallel story to the narrator's observations. Using variety in presentation and engaging details, Stacey Thomas ensures that readers know exactly what is going on as the two friends work together in preparation for a most enjoyable performance for their friends. 

Words Matter: The Story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, and the White Rose Resistance. Written by Anita Fitch Pazner and illustrated by Sophie Casson. Groundwood Books, 2025. $21.99 ages 9 and up

"They were not alone. 
They came together with others
like the petals of a rose joined at the heart.
A name for the group blossomed - 
the White Rose Resistance. 

Words, you see, unite us."

Readers know that words matter. In her tribute to Hans and Sophie Scholl, Anita Fitch Pazner tells her middle grade audience why. During WWII, the brother and sister were members of Hitler Youth and the League of German girls. At the time, it was not yet mandatory. Their family life had taught them to care about others and to think for themselves. When they realized exactly what was happening in Germany under the leadership of Hitler, they could no longer say nothing. 

Knowing that Hitler was gaining his power through lies and striking fear in the hearts of the German people, they felt the need to resist. They did it through the White Rose Resistance, a group of German students who used their words in leaflets they distributed to expose the truth. They took great risks, as explained in empathetic text that shows their bravery in overwhelming times. 

The book is a history lesson in what can be done when conscience and morality lead the way. In today's world, where many face similar threats to freedom through injustice, it shows readers there are ways to protest with truth, and peacefully. It offers middle grade readers an opportunity for thought and discussion concerning quiet heroes who want to make change in their world. How can they think clearly and with kindness to do the same?  

Their execution, with their friend Christoph Probst, concludes the book with respect for their lives, their work and their heroism; they inspired others to speak truth and work for change. This book is an excellent introduction to the White Rose Resistance for the target audience. It is the story of nonviolent resistance and is strikingly illustrated as a very powerful addition to the book. The images are emotionally relevant to the story as they balance both the darkness and the light that brought hope to many. 

Back matter is important. It includes historical notes about the Scholl family, their motivations, and the political environment of the time. Also included are an author's short note about her connection to Germany, lists of selected resources and further reading, and on the last page names of members of the White Rose who were arrested and their persecuted family members.  

"It is vital for us all to remember what happens in a society when ordinary people do not speak up."