Christmas in children’s literature
What all the proposals are offered by the publishing houses as the holidays approach! Here are a few that I really liked.
Text from Eve Christian
Title: A beautiful Little Wolf Christmas
Text: Orianne Lallemand
Illustrations : Eleonore Thuillier
Editions : Auzou
For children from: 18 months
Biography: P’tit Loup, his younger sister Babiloup and their parents spend time with their family having fun this Christmas Eve. It’s finally the holidays and a visit from the big red man awaits…
My opinion : The perfect album for toddlers and toddlers who want to carry it: cardboard pages with tactile textures and lift-up flaps to reveal surprises. And how about a story that describes fun activities that kids can do on the most anticipated morning of the year!
Title: Christmas unicorn
Text: Lucie Papineau
Illustrations : Jose Massa
Editions : Auzou
For children from: 4 years
Biography: Anouk spends the Christmas holidays in the countryside with her grandparents. He takes care of a small horse with an injured leg, with whom he develops a silent bond. The force that unites this duo is magical. But is this foal really one?
My opinion : A story of complicity between a girl and a pet, colored by the magic of Christmas. Winter nature and forest animals are ubiquitous, resulting in inspired illustrations and a rather dreamy story.
Title: Christmas with 1000 children
Text: Valerie Fontaine
Illustrations : Yves Dumont
Editions : Quebec America
For children from: 4 years
Biography: This third volume of the collection presents the preparation for Christmas in a house where two parents and… 1000 children live! It goes without saying that the letters addressed to Santa Claus are endless, the decorations are numerous, and the gifting formula is ingenious!
My opinion : There are themes of generosity, sharing and family support collection, especially in this book. Added to these two themes is overconsumption. Of course, along with humor comes exaggeration. The volumes are not sequels, but the first allows us to understand why the Chose couple had so many children on purpose.
story time : On Thursday, December 15 at 6:45 p.m., the author Valérie Fontaine will read Christmas with 1000 children live on the Facebook page CLEF; will be offered as compensation.
Christmas in Children’s Literature Photo: Courtesy of several publishing houses
Title: lost in history
Text: Jean-Francois Faucher
Illustrations : Martin Aubry
Editions : Alaska
For children from: 4 years
Biography: Slush, the busiest packer sprite at the North Pole, teleports his pixie girls and pixie friends unknowingly to different periods in history. Still, he just wanted to slow down time so that every child would get their gift on Christmas night!
My opinion : This clumsy and distracted elf has a knack for getting his feet wet, much to the delight of young readers. In this sixth adventure collection, Slush uses chronofrost, a device that allows Santa to distribute all the presents in one night around the world, without permission. Historical hints are instructive. As a bonus, the app ALASKAwhich can be downloaded for free, lets you see seven images come to life when you hover over them.
Title: Princess Beelzebub : Santa’s Funny Christmas
Text: Eza Paventi
Illustrations : Lucille Lesueur
Editions : Smart guys
For children from: 4 years
Biography: While he should be working hard, Santa Claus is sad about the departure of Mrs. Claus, who is treating her flu in a southern region. The elf invites young Beelzebub and her older brother to exchange the sleigh ride (this was the wish the girl wrote in her letter) for helping the old man get back on his feet.
My opinion : I fell in love with this beautiful album because of the obvious and complicit brotherly friendship, the resourcefulness and imagination of the children, and the beautiful illustrations.
Title: Florian’s sparkling eyes
Text: Renee Wilkin
Illustrations : Annie Boulanger
Editions : Boomerang
For children from: 5 years
Biography: Marion, Anesia and Nestor believed that Christmas was all about presents before they realized that the magic is in much more important things. These young people learn that Florian, Marion’s cousin who suffers from leukemia, will probably have to spend the holidays in the hospital. The children send him superpowers to celebrate Christmas with his family.
My opinion : The collection Little giants are worth their weight in gold. She explores some fairly rare topics in children’s literature: body diversity (Vol. 3), cultural diversity (Vol. 2), and embracing one’s differences (Vol. 1). The text is easy to read and the illustrations are attractive. Touching books.
Title: Princess of Christmas
Text: Mariah Cary and Michaela Angela Davis
Illustrations : Takashi Fuuji
Translation : Valentine Vignault
Editions : Michael Lafon
For children from: 5 years
Biography: A girl lives in a dilapidated house with an absent mother and a wealthy neighborhood that mocks her viciously. One snowy day, she runs away from her miserable life and finds fairies, a fantastic stone and a book in a clearing that prove to her that her voice has magical power. Against all odds, she manages to spread the Christmas spirit at home and around the world!
My opinion : All Mariah asks for Christmas is to be joyful with her mother, as stated in her song All I want for Christmas is you. She is nicknamed the Queen of Christmas. A modern fairy tale that for me represents the very definition of a story in which the magic of Christmas reigns. The beautiful illustrations and text will also appeal to older siblings, provided they have kept a child’s heart.
Title: Operation Santa Claus
Text: Catherine Girard-Audet
Editions : Smart guys
For children from: 7 years
Biography: As Christmas approaches, Margaux senses abnormal things happening: her elf has disappeared. She convinces her cousin Maël (who is old enough not to believe) that Santa Claus is in trouble and needs their help. Then the investigation begins, which will lead them to meet the Tooth Fairy, Cupid and the Easter Bunny… Could these characters be responsible for the disappearance of Santa Claus?
My opinion : The author’s action story was approved by her 7-year-old daughter Margaux. This children’s novel, written in large letters and without illustrations, is suitable for children of his age who will be proud to read their first novel of more than 200 pages. I was amused that we doubt the non-existence of Santa Claus and all the other supposedly real childhood characters.
