Picture Books

Gaspard and Lisa's Christmas Surprise by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben, Alfred A. Knopf, 2002, $9.95

This is a simple story of trying to find the right present for a beloved teacher, painted in rich colors and told from the perspective of one of the characters. Seventh in a series from France, Gaspard and Lisa, two dogs behaving like kids, decide to make a gift using things found around the house. Hopefully, it will inspire great ideas in readers but make sure that kids know that using scissors and shower curtains need adult permission.

The Forgetful Bears Help Santa by Larry Weinberg Random House, 2002, $12.95

Kind-hearted but not very bright characters make most children laugh. Perhaps it's because they love to see adults act like kids. Weinberg has written a very funny story about a forgetful bear family who start the story accusing Santa of being a burglar since they think he is arriving on the fourth of July. After Santa explains who he is, they rush to help their visitor, providing more opportunities for crazy mishaps. When Mr. Forgetful starts delivering the wrong gifts, the story has another surprise - this one a hearty ending both kids and the adults reading to them will enjoy.

A Small Miracle by Peter Collington Alfred A. Knopf, 2002, $15.95

With not a word to be found inside the covers, this beautiful book captures the heart of the holiday season- or what we yearn for it to be. An old woman, starving, lonely and destitute, sees that the Nativity scene at the church has been vandalized. She gives everything she has to reassemble the figures and then collapses in the snow before she can get home. She is rescued, fed, and served from an unexpected source, giving us hope and reminding all readers that miracles really do happen. Collington uniquely captures this wondrous tale in the 96 paintings that carefully and completely tell the story. Even young readers will understand the sacrifice the old woman makes to do the right thing. This timeless tale shows, not tells, that charity begins in the heart and finds reward through action. This may be the best holiday book of the season and one to read every year.

The Story of Noodles by Ying Chang Compestine Holiday House, 2002, $16.95

Ying Chang Compestine has a knack for bringing history to life - even if it's not quite true. In her last children's book, The Story of Chopsticks, the inventive Kang brothers discovered chopsticks much to the delight of the emperor. Still making trouble for their ever patient parents, in The Story of Noodles, the three boys start by helping their mother make dumplings for the annual cooking contest but end up with strips of dough. With no time to make dumplings, the family brings the new dish to the contest, where each boy demonstrates his favorite way of eating the noodle strips. Illustrated again with vibrant, bold woodcuts from YongSheng Xuan, Compestine also includes a recipe and a short history of Chinese noodles. Children will love the idea that mistakes can have positive results and parents will appreciate that the kids are allowed expression even as they adhere to the expectations of their community. The Story of Noodles is a delicious dish of pretend, warmed with a dash of reality.

Young Adult

The Look-It-Up Book of the 50 States by Bill Gutman Random House, 2002, $12.99

Kids love to learn facts about the world around them, especially if the sources treat them with intelligence. Spouting facts such as the California Gull is Utah's state bird, cabbages grown during Alaska's summer can reach 80 pounds, and the Graveyard of the Atlantic, full of shipwrecks, is off the coast of North Carolina, is fun, even if it is educational. In Gutman's encyclopedia, each state is given about three pages, just enough for a brief history, a few pictures and a short list of unique things, events, or geological features. Beyond using it for school assignments, this well crafted book is great for road trips, trivia games, and for settling arguments. Many adults would probably prefer this easy-to read volume for their own fact checking.

Charlotte's Rose by A.E. Cannon Wendy Lamb Books, 2002, $15.95

A.E. Cannon's Charlotte's Rose, is about a 12-year-old girl, a motherless baby, and their journey to Salt Lake City as part of the Mormon migration in 1856. Held together by faith, the poor and hungry group pushed handcarts from Iowa City to Utah to join their community. Charlotte's outer quest is to carry the baby whose mother died in childbirth. Her pride makes her promise the grieving father that she can do it. But the walk is much harder than she expected, giving her a courageous rite-of-passage as she arrives in Utah a young woman. The magic of young adult fiction is that the stories seem simple and predictable but the good ones, like Charlotte's Rose are much more than that. Cannon tells a compelling tale with clarity and insight. Her novel is grounded in solid research giving her characters authenticity and making the reader care about them. It's rich in details such as Charlotte's longing to read and write; the crowded tents with their strong smells and loud snores; and the way singing together inspires them. The hearts of all readers will ache just like Charlotte's heart does as she wrestles with the thought of having to give "her baby" back to her father.

Copyright © 2002 Anna Stewart. All rights reserved worldwide.