This holiday season, why not wrap up a few wonderful books that will amuse and delight your children as they curl up in front of the fire awaiting Santa’s next visit or dream of the next Hanukkah celebration.

Pumpkin Town! Or Nothing Is Better than Pumpkins
By Katie McKy
Houghton Mifflin
$16, ages 4-8
Cause and effect: Let the pumpkin seeds blow down on the town below your farm and what do you get? A mess to clean up later. And what about the seeds from the delicious watermelons the townspeople give you as a reward? Jose and his brothers, the pumpkin farmers, find out – and your kids will be delighted when they figure out the joke. Whimsical collages illustrate this modern-day fable.

Beauty and the Beast
By Max Eilenberg
Candlewick Press
$17.99, ages 4-8
The holidays are an ideal time to add classic books to your children’s library. This most recent version of Beauty and the Beast features stunning illustrations that draw readers into a story they may have heard many times before. The detailed artwork captures the essence of this charming love story.

The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History
By Jennifer Armstrong
Random House Books for Young Readers
$34.95, ages 6 and up
Your child or grandchild doesn’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this wonderful array of stories celebrating America’s history. Designed so that children can read one or two stories at a time, this book showcases how America got to be the country it is today, from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to Kitty Hawk to Watergate.

Magic Tree House #6: Blizzard of the Blue Moon
By Mary Pope Osborne
Random House Books for Young Readers
$11.95, ages 7-11
You simply can’t go wrong when giving the newest addition to the beloved Magic Tree House Series. Siblings Jack and Annie live in Depression-era New York City and find themselves called upon to rescue a trapped magical unicorn. Mysterious developments, enchanted escapades, and historical events will keep even the youngest readers on the edge of their seats.

The Silver Donkey
By Sonya Hartnett
Candlewick Press
$15.99, ages 10 and up
Just holding this delightful cloth-bound book makes you feel like you are about to embark on a wonderful journey. And indeed you are. This wonderful fable features a lost soldier, heroic children, and a steadfast donkey, all of which show loyalty, kindness, and courage. Two young sisters find a temporarily blinded soldier in France during World War I. While they care for the soldier, he tells them four tales about the small silver donkey he holds in his palm. This book will undoubtedly become a family treasure.

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