For millions of people, the holiday period is a very special time of year. It’s a time to celebrate and enjoy ourselves, but it’s also a time to pause and focus on the fundamental values that we share with thousands of other Quebecers and Canadians, no matter their religion or beliefs. We aspire to live according to these values each and every day, and to spread them around us: values such as generosity, sharing, mutual aid, goodwill, compassion, respect, friendship, and an openness of heart and mind.
Which is why Blue Metropolis proposes these many reading recommendations, best explored as a family, to breathe a little “spirit of sharing” into your home.
FOR THE LITTLE ONES
What We’ll Build: Plans for our Together Future, Oliver Jeffers, HarperCollins Children’s Books—a story about parents’ boundless love, life’s endless opportunities
Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White, Saumiya Balasubramaniam, Eva Campbell (illustrations), Groundwood Books—about a mother–daughter bond and newcomer experiences
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 8 Nights of Chanukah, Eric Carle, Penguin Young Readers Group—a festive counting story for a fine holiday gift
When Santa Was a Baby, Linda Bailey, Geneviève Godbout (illustrations), Tundra Books—about a little baby with a big heart, and an unusual interest in chimneys
Snow Song, A.K. Riley, Dawn Lo (illustrations), Kids Can Press—a rhythmic free verse on friendship, communities, and a flurry of shared experiences
Little Robin’s Christmas, Jan Fearnley, Nosy Crow—about the gift of sharing, and the heartwarming rewards of friendship
The Wish Tree, Kyo Maclear, Chris Turnham (illustrations), Chronicle Books—about a boy, his trusty companion, and new friends on a magical journey to the wish tree
The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats, Viking Books for Young Readers—learning to open up to new wonders on a small adventure in the deep, deep snow
FOR BIG KIDS
The Sharing Circle: Stories about First Nations Culture, Theresa Meuse-Dallien, Arthur Stevens (illustrations), Nimbus Publishing— seven stories about First Nations culture and spiritual practices
The Shortest Day, Susan Cooper, Carson Ellis (illustrations), Candlewick— celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth
A Chanukah Noel, Sharon Jennings, Gillian Newland (illustrations), Second Story Press—a little girl’s celebration of both Christmas and Chanukah
The Moon Keeper, Zosienka, HarperCollins—a polar bear’s special connection with the moon: on friendship, impermanence, and nature
A Christmas Bear, Bonny Becker, Kady MacDonald Denton (illustrations), Candlewick—a tale about a curmudgeonly bear, a hopeful mouse, and an unlikely holiday celebration
Lil Rabbit’s Kwanzaa, Donna L. Washington, Shane W. Evans (illustrations), Katherine Tegen Books—about the true meaning of Kwanzaa, coming together to help others
Baseball Bats for Christmas, Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak, Vladyana Krykorka (illustrations), Annick Press—a vibrant, touching glimpse of Arctic life from an award-winning Inuit author
A Coyote Solstice, Thomas King, Gary Clement, Groundwood Books—on a solstice celebration, from the snowy woods to the shopping mall
