Playing Santa

As you might imagine, I give a few books at Christmas time. Here’s a rundown of some people on my list and what they are getting, which might spark some ideas for you.

The Young Pirate Fan (2 y.o. girl): Pirate Girl, by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic, ISBN: 9780439716727). This is a terrific twist on a pirate tale, in which a young girl is taken captive, only to be rescued by an even fiercer pirate – her mom!

The 4 y.o. train freak: a lazy pick to go with some Thomas toys: Hooray for Thomas (by W. Awdry, Random House, ISBN: 9780375828768). If you weren’t trying to match a gift and just have a hardcore locomotive lover, I’d suggest C is for Caboose (Chronicle, ISBN: 9780811856430), with lots of wonderful retro train terms and images.

For the 1 y.o.: to go with some farm toys, I’m thinking Barnyard Banter (by Denise Fleming, Henry Holt, ISBN: 9780805065947), one of my favourite barnyard books for the very young. (This is linked in board book format, but available in larger formats, too.)

For the knitters, both of them: The Mitten Tree, by Candace Christiansen (Fulcrum, ISBN: 9781555917333). I love this story of truly giving from the heart. An old woman sees children without mittens, and leaves some out on the branches of a tree for them to find. She runs out of wool, but finds her faith and wool basket replenished when a gift of ball after ball of wool arrives on her doorstep. So lovely.

For the left-leaning guy with a sense of humour: this guy is not a big reader, so Rick Mercer’s short and hilarious rants are a perfect fit for him. He’s already a CBC kind of guy, and if he’s not a fan of the show yet, he totally will be. He’s getting Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book (Doubleday, ISBN: 9780385665193).

For the eco-conscious design guy and the 20-something designy hipster girl: both are getting ReadyMade, by Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne (Crown, ISBN: 9781400081073). This book of cool DIY projects from the founders of ReadyMade mgazine has all kinds of interesting, achievable, and actually good-looking stuff in it, and I am making a couple of the projects to go with it. I’m figuring the book and the projects are going to ring in at way less than you’d usually expect for a really awesome and unique gift package. I’m pairing it with an issue of Spacing magazine for the design guy, who is also all into urban planning.

For the man who has enjoyed the sweeping epics of Ken Follett: his newest, Fall of Giants (Dutton, ISBN: 9780525951650). A pretty sure bet, and thick enough to keep him in reading for the infamous trip we will be going on. Being book one of a trilogy, this also opens the door for future gift-giving… I like!

For my 6 y.o.: a compilation of Cornelia Funke’s three picture book stories (A Princess, A Pirate, and One Wild Brother, Scholastic, ISBN: 9780545042413), a French book to force encourage her to practice her reading, and the Catwings series (by Ursula Le Guin, Scholastic, ISBN: 9780439551052) to read to her on a trip. A couple of Funke’s stories are a little older, which is why I’m only getting Pirate Girl on its own for the 2 y.o. friend, while I think a 6 y.o. will be able to appreciate them all. Meanwhile, the Catwings are sweet, short little chapter books from a name you may recognize. My girl has already loved the first one, so I think the four together should keep us busy for a bit of our travel time, or at least provide a week of bedtime reading in a compact package (I’d recommend for grades 1-3).

For my 2 y.o. truck freak: A handful of cheaper truck books to take on a trip, from the DK See How They Go series. (including, among a great many: Diggers, ISBN: 9780756651671; Fire Truck, ISBN: 9780756645533; Bus, ISBN: 9780756658366, and more.) These are great, and I can see adding to the series a couple at a time for a while!

For the create-y type/children’s librarian (okay, my own stocking):  A page-a-day origami calendar (by Margaret van Sicklen, Workman, ISBN: 9780761157274).

Happy gift-giving – hope this helps spark some ideas for your own list!