Holiday

Lady Liberty’s Holiday by Jen Arena, illustrated by Matt Hunt

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  The Statue of Liberty is feeling blue, even though she’s green.  She’s stiff, achy, and tired of seeing the same skyline every day.  Her friend Moe the pigeon suggests she take a vacation.  So one night, Lady Liberty breaks free of her pedestal and goes on a walking tour of the United States.  She’s delighted by all she sees—from the Jersey shore to the wheat fields of Kansas to the Rocky Mountains to the Golden Gate Bridge.  Unfortunately, she is missed back in her home town of New York City, and, as spring moves into summer, there are rumors that the Fourth of July celebration will be canceled.  Moe goes off in search of his friend, and finds her perched on the edge of the Grand Canyon, feeling small for the first time in her life.  Hearing about the Fourth of July, Lady Liberty rushes home, making it back just in time for a grand fireworks display on the Fourth.  The final two pages tell the story of the Statue of Liberty and some little known facts about her, along with some additional resources.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  This would make a great introduction to some of America’s famous landmarks, as well as a great Fourth of July read-aloud.

Cons:  Sorry to be reviewing a great Fourth of July read-aloud on August 30.

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manazo, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

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Published by Atheneum

    

Summary: It’s Christmas Eve, and Jose’s mami is feeling homesick for Puerto Rico. Not only that, but their oven is too small to cook the roast.  So Jose and his father box it up and set off for the local pizzeria to use the big oven there.  Along the way, they meet up with neighbors in and around their apartment who are experiencing a variety of holiday stresses.  A few hours later, they return, bringing the pizza shop owner for dinner and a fragrant cooked roast.  The delicious odors draw the neighbors to their apartment, and everyone forgets their troubles to enjoy a merry Christmas Eve dinner.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A feel-good Christmas story with a culturally diverse cast of characters.

Cons:  A pretty bah humbug collection of neighbors until dinner is served.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Roaring Brook Press 

Summary:  After the Night of Broken Glass, Oskar’s parents put him on a ship to America.  His father’s last words to him are, “Even in bad times, people can be good.  You have to look for the blessings.”  Oskar arrives in New York City on the seventh day of Hanukkah, which is also Christmas Eve.  He has to walk over one hundred blocks to find his Aunt Esther.  As he walks, he looks for blessings.  An old woman feeding pigeons gives him a loaf of bread to eat.  A boy playing in the snow gives him a pair of mittens.  And Eleanor Roosevelt herself gives him a few kind words.  As night falls, and the Hanukkah candles begin to glow in windows, Oskar at last reaches his destination and finds a new home.  Grades 1-3.

Pros:  A beautifully illustrated, moving story about finding good in the world during a bleak time in history.  An author’s note explains that the events of Christmas Eve 1938 are historically accurate, including Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to New York City.

Cons:  While very young children would enjoy this story, it does require at least a basic explanation of Nazi Germany and the beginning of the Holocaust.

Happy Hanukkah!

The Nutcracker Comes to America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created a Holiday Tradition by Chris Barton, illustrated by Cathy Gendron.

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Published by Millbrook Press 

Summary:  Although the Nutcracker ballet seems like a timeless holiday tradition, it’s only been around since the second half of the twentieth century.  Three brothers from Utah, Willam, Harold, and Lew Christensen, were responsible for bringing the Russian ballet to the U.S.  The Christensens came from a dancing family and grew up to become dancers, vaudevillians, and, eventually, teachers and producers.  During World War II, money and dancers were both in short supply.  The brothers were working in San Francisco and needed a hit to keep ballet alive in that city. When Willam heard someone whistling Tschaikovsky on a city street, he was reminded of a production of the Nutcracker he had been involved with years before.  The brothers’ low-budget production premiered on Christmas Eve and was a huge hit.  Over the next several years, the show spread to other cities across the country, so that by the 1960’s, the Nutcracker tradition had taken hold.  Back matter includes notes from the author and illustrator about their research, a timeline, a summary of the story of the Nutrcracker, and suggestions for further reading.  Grades 2-5.

Pros:  I was surprised to learn how recently the Nutcracker came to America.  The history was interesting, and the illustrations, inspired by Edgar Degas, capture the grace and beauty of ballet.  The conversational tone of the text keeps the story moving along.

Cons:  Some of the details of the brothers’ lives seemed extraneous to the main story.  A little editing might have made this a better read-aloud for younger readers.