New Christmas Books for 2018

New Christmas Books for 2018 | Avery and Augustine

We have one last trio of Christmas books to share.

A Christmas Advent Story adds a special festival touch to counting down the days until Christmas.  Written by Ivy Snow, illustrated by Hannah Tolson and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

A cozy Christmas tale of teamwork, community and gratitude for fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.  Construction Site on Christmas Night was written by Sherri Rinker, illustrated by AG Ford and published by Chronicle Books.

And lastly, a mischievous cat wreaks so much havoc on his family’s Christmas Eve preparations leaving them appalled, aghast and practically Christmas-less.  This one is delightfully funny and those with cats in their lives will relate all too well.  The Cat Who Ate Christmas was written by Lil Chase, illustrated by Thomas Docherty and published by Running Press Kids.

The Christmas Eve Tree

The Christmas Eve Tree | Avery and Augustine
The Christmas Eve Tree | Avery and Augustine
The Christmas Eve Tree | Avery and Augustine

“A forest of Christmas trees stretching over the hills.  That’s where our story begins.”  A little forlorn fir tree, robbed of the chance to grow and thrive as a seedling, is transported with fellow trees to the city to be put for sale.  Not surprisingly, no one gives this little fir tree a second glance.  On the brink of being discarded, the fir tree ends up being adopted by a boy and both their warmth and presence bring the community together in a memorable way.  A few days later, dried and brittle, while the little tree sits and waits to be tossed out with the other Christmas trees, a street sweeper comes along.  His clever deed gives the little fir tree a new life.  Don’t miss this heartwarming and affecting Christmas tale.

The Christmas Eve Tree was written by Delia Huddy, illustrated by Emily Sutton and published by Candlewick Press.

The Broken Ornament

The Broken Ornament | Avery and Augustine
The Broken Ornament | Avery and Augustine

Jack wants this to be the BEST Christmas ever and in his zeal to trim his family’s tree in the grandest way possible, he breaks an ornament.  It’s not just any ornament.  It’s a very special (irreplaceable) family heirloom.  While picking up the pieces of the broken ornament, a quirky magical creature named Tinsel appears.  She deftly grants Jack’s wishes for the best, most over-the-top Christmas ever.  Jack revels in the otherworldly winter wonderland that’s suddenly sprung up in his living room but still lingering is the feeling that he needs to somehow fix his mother’s broken ornament.  Tinsel can’t fix the problem, but she does nudge Jack toward a solution in her magical way.  Tony DiTerlizzi’s art shines in this heartfelt story for the holiday season.

The Broken Ornament was written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express | Avery and Augustine

While at the Christmas market, Mia makes a discovery — a wonderfully peculiar door on a mailbox that beckons to be opened.  She can’t resist and steps through to another world where a reindeer awaits to take her on a journey.  They fly through the deep, thick snow to Mia’s grandpa’s faraway home to make a special delivery that she’ll never forget.  With a wintry magical palette, intriguing die-cut pages to look through and curious doors for the reader to open, Last Stop on the Reindeer Express feels unbelievably cozy and enchanting all at once.

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express was written by Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Karl James Mountford and published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Silent Night

Silent Night | Avery and Augustine
Silent Night | Avery and Augustine
Silent Night | Avery and Augustine
Silent Night | Avery and Augustine

I’ve been ensconced at home with a horrible foggy cold the past couple of days—and they’ve been slow, grainy rainy days to boot—but I just wanted to pop on here and share this glorious new illustrated edition of a beloved Christmas carol.  Lara Hawthorne’s art is dramatic and bright and brings a new modern beauty to the celebratory and hopeful words of Silent Night.

Wishing everyone a beautiful December weekend!

Silent Night was illustrated by Lara Hawthorne and published by Lincoln Children’s Books.