Chapter A Day celebrates the "littles" this year with five amazing holiday books over two days. Read by adults and performed by some talented Wisconsin schoolkids, these books are sure to become your new holiday classics.
Monday, December 21st
“The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story” by Lemony Snicket, Illustrations by Lisa Brown, McSweeney's
- Latkes are potato pancakes served at Hanukkah, and Lemony Snicket is an alleged children’s author. For the first time in literary history, these two elements are combined in one book. A particularly irate latke is the star of “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming”, but many other holiday icons appear and even speak: flashing colored lights, cane-shaped candy, a pine tree. Santa Claus is briefly discussed as well. The ending is happy, at least for some.
"Tree of Cranes" by Allen Say
- As a young Japanese boy recovers from a bad chill, his mother busily folds origami paper into delicate silver cranes in preparation for the boy's very first Christmas.
“Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story” by Angela Shelf Medearis, Illustrated by Daniel Minter
- In an African village live seven brothers who make life miserable with their constant fighting. When their father dies, he leaves an unusual will: by sundown, the brothers must make gold out of seven spools of thread or they will be turned out as beggars.
Tuesday, December 22nd
“Nine Days to Christmas” A Story of Mexico by Marie Hall Ets & Aurora Labastida
- Generations of readers have treasured this 1960 Caldecott Medal winner and its tale of a little Mexican girl's excitement at the approach of Christmas. Ceci eagerly awaits Las Posadas, the traditional nine-day series of yuletide celebrations. This year she'll lead the candlelight procession that reenacts Mary and Joseph's trek to Bethlehem and receive her very first piñata.
“Coyote Christmas: A Lakota Story” by SD Nelson
- On Christmas Eve, Coyote wants to find some people to trick out of a hot meal. He knows that there’s one character people can’t refuse on Christmas Eve: Santa Claus! Using straw for a jolly belly and wool for his Santa’s beard, the Trickster fools a family into welcoming him to their Christmas meal. But just when he thinks he’s gotten away with his ruse, taking their food and leaving the family with nothing, he’s foiled by a strange occurrence. Could it be a Christmas miracle?
