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Winter Holidays and Festival Celebrations in Books for Young Children
In this winter season, there are a variety of holidays and festivals that young children will certainly enjoy. Enclosed are reviews of winter holiday and festival themed books depicting religious traditions as well as cultural and ethnic celebrations.
There is an informational page in each book capturing items such as glossaries, historical backgrounds, definitions, photographs and food recipes. These books range from read-aloud to elementary grade reading level and reflect diverse families, cultures and communities.
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Carla and the Christmas Cornbread by Carla Hall, illustrated by Cherise Harris
This delightful picture book tells the story of a young African American girl named Carla, her favorite holiday Christmas and special holiday cornbread. Do you like cornbread? Every Christmas, Carla and her mother, along with her sister Kim, travel to spend the holiday with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Carla is excited looking at all the lights and decorations on the houses and trees. She can hardly wait to play with her cousins and eat the delicious food that her Granny has cooked. The story introduces distinctive ethnic /cultural dishes that her extended family enjoys on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
As nighttime falls on Christmas Eve, Granny has baked a giant cookie just for Santa that Carla mistakenly ate! Does Santa find out that Carla has eaten his cookie? Has she ruined Christmas? Read the book and discover what happened.
What I loved about this book: Carla and the Christmas Cornbread is a huggable story, both in text and illustrations, of a family Christmas celebration. The story highlights that children make mistakes but also that mistakes can be resolved. This is a read-aloud or a book for beginning readers that includes the recipe for Carla’s cornbread that can be used for a wonderful baking activity that both parents and children can engage in.
Note: Author Carla Hall is a trained chef and television personality. She is a graduate of Howard University and a resident of Washington, DC.
My Family Celebrates Hanukkah by Lisa Bullard, illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated around the world during the month of December and is also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is an eight day celebration that in 2025 will begin at nightfall Sunday, December 14 and end at nightfall Sunday, December 22. This easy to read and understand colorful picture book is a story about a young boy named Caleb who, along with his parents and relatives, observe Hanukkah. Caleb participates in all facets of the holiday and really enjoys the lighting of the candle and eating the potato pancakes called latkes. The most fun part of the story is playing the spinning game dreidel with other children. Caleb even won a game and his prize was lots of chocolate coins! He decides to do something very special with all of the chocolate coins. What would you do if you won chocolate coins? The final pages of the book include a glossary and a “Learn About Section” with images of symbols of Hanukkah. This is a perfect book for young children to learn about this important holiday.
My First Book About Ramadan: teachings for toddlers and young children by Sara Khan, illustrated by Ali Lodge
Ramadan is a Muslim holiday that is observed worldwide. It is celebrated the ninth month of the Islamic lunar year and is determined by the sightings of the moon. In 2026, Ramadan is expected to begin Tuesday evening, February 17, and end Thursday/Friday evening, March 19-20. This engaging board book for children ages 2 and up contains colorful illustrations and read aloud text that makes this religious celebration understandable. The components of the holiday that include fasting, praying, acts of kindness, and blessings are all presented. My First Book About Ramadan is an intergenerational depiction with a prominent presence of children throughout the story. This is a must read book for young children.
Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada: let's celebrate Christmas by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Loretta Lopez
“I say uno and you say one. Our Christmas posada will be a lot of fun!”
So begins this unique book about a Hispanic girl and friends celebrating the traditional holiday called posada that is celebrated each of the nine days before Christmas. Posada began in Spain but it is now observed by Spanish speakers globally. It includes both religious and cultural traditions. In 2025, Posada will begin on Tuesday December 16 and end on Monday December 24. The book focuses on children’s roles in this festive event. They enjoy singing religious songs, making special punch, eating special treats, and playing the piñata game. Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada! is a poetic, rhythmic book dispersed with common Spanish vocabulary numbers alongside English words and numbers. This is an excellent choice to introduce children to basic Spanish words and numbers. It’s a fun read aloud and a book for beginning readers.
Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Kwanzaa is an African American cultural holiday celebrated by millions of families for seven days beginning December 26 and ending on January 1. This observance is based on various African traditions incorporated into African American family traditions. Family/community unity is the focus of the celebration. Kwanzaa means first fruit of harvest and it is from the Swahili language of East Africa. Before the actual holiday, families decorate their homes with Kwanzaa symbols. The table includes the place mat (mkeka), seven colored candles, corn (muhindi), fruits and vegetables (mazao). One ear of corn is placed on a table for each child in the family. Each day, one candle is lit and the children and adults join in storytelling, singing and affirmations of hope. They exchange gifts too. The final day of the holiday includes a large family meal followed by a party. Seven Candles for Kwanzaa is a fascinating and informative book about the holiday that also includes some Swahili words and pronunciation. The book’s warm illustrations welcome children to join in with this family observance. The book is suited for upper level elementary readers and middle schoolers.
The Christmas Mitzvah by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha
This book tells a wonderful true life story of a Jewish man named Al Rosen who loved Christmastime. Although he observed the Hanukkah night which was the same as Christmas Eve, he decided to take his son and walk around the neighborhood to help those in need. He found some people and offered to help them so they could celebrate Christmas with their families. He even contacted a radio station with this message: “Merry Christmas, everybody. I’m Al Rosen. I am Jewish. If you are a Christian and have to work tonight but would rather be with your family, I’ll do your job for nothing.”
Mr. Rosen became a living Mr. Rogers for thirty six years. He, his son and later his grandchildren picked up groceries, filed papers, pumped gas, swept sidewalks, shoved snow, babysat and much more. His acts of kindness extended to Muslims, people from other faiths and anyone in need. In time, others in his community began to volunteer to help those in need on their special holidays.
What I loved about this book: I loved the book’s theme of sharing, compassion and kindness. The interfaith and multi-cultural text and illustrations creates a beautiful story for young children.
About the Author
Beryl is a retired educator who resided in Charlotte, Boston, Atlanta and now lives in Washington, DC. She taught in the public schools in Boston and Atlanta. In Atlanta, she taught at a historically black college and retired at a community college. An avid reader, her favorite books are short story collections written by global authors. She is a volunteer with the unhoused community and enjoys her weekly trail walks with friends. Beryl has one adult son.