Cultivate a sense of wonder with holiday books!

Nonna's Reading Guide to a Season of Wonder, 2022

12/1/2022

Image by Norman Tsui at Unsplash

Habits of Wonder

It is fitting that a season of wonder should follow a season of gratitude. Gratefulness grows when we take the time to see and think about the good things in our lives. The skills of authentically seeing, of thought-filled reflection are necessary for developing the habits of wonder.

Playfulness and laughter, a willingness to explore - to see life as an adventure - and a desire to seek out the beauty around us are necessary to cultivate a sense of wonder! Developing these traits takes time: time we spend with our children playing, exploring, looking for the beautiful and time for our children to grow into these attributes.

"A good book also gives us moments of wonder and joy and laughter. What better way to intentionally give our children their own moments of noticing the Love which knits life together?"

Nonna's Reading Guide to a Season of Wonder, 2020

Sharing good books with our children - babies to young adults - is one of the best ways to continue to nurture the habits of wonder together!

What we read is instrumental in who we become!

Playfulness

Laughing so hard your sides ache and tears are streaming down your face should be a regular occurrence and nothing is quite as amusing as when our little ones mistake the lyrics in a holiday song!

When Olive "discovers" she's a reindeer and not a dog, she knows she must help Santa.

I dare you to read this aloud without laughing!

A lovely holiday picture book mirroring the original Twelve Days of Christmas carol! Morales' vibrant illustrations echo the whirlwind of memory created when trying to accurately count each item given by the Amiga.

Why not try to make a little tree piñata to add to your festivities?

Wow! This is a wonderfully written verse in two languages is written in the classic style and meter of Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas! The author wrote the story as a way to share with her daughter her memories of Christmas Eves in Guatemala and Mexico.

Adventures

Seeing life as an adventure takes perseverance and a steadfastly hope-filled heart! Especially when you are counting down the days until Christmas!

Life is an adventure and learning to navigate the wait for a special holiday is essential for any good traveler! And it's a life-habit which is useful along the whole journey.

A willingness to explore life often comes with a BIG imagination - one which can spill over into our dreams.

Ollie's Christmas adventures begin when she helps a lost reindeer in the forest - her greatest dream was to meet a reindeer. A perfect bedtime story during the holiday season.

There is really only one question on Christmas Eve - are you on Santa's good or naughty list? Charlie's twin Sam is most likely on Santa's good list while Charlie know she's been especially naughty and won't get any presents. But Santa makes a mistake which Charlie must put right... Heartwarming and filled with Richard Curtis' wry humor - reading this book has become a holiday tradition in our home!

Beauty

Traditions! Our holiday seasons abound with traditions and the one which kicks it off for many families is choosing and trimming the tree.

Pick a Pine Tree is a joyous celebration of choosing the tree, digging out ornament boxes, stringing tinsel and turning on the lights! Every picture brings a smile to my face!

Say is one of my personal favorite author-illustrators - his work is the epitome of beauty in children's books. It's an unusual holiday story, but perfect for the adventurer who wants to explore the idea of beauty on many levels. This books sinks deep into your heart with a steadfast light and calming joy. If you read only one holiday picture book, this is the one.

Have you ever wondered how the tradition of a Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center began? Where does it come from? What kind of tree is it? And, perhaps the most important question, have you wondered about the birds and living in the tree?

Books available at Bookshop.org