The Gingerbread Bear by Robert Dennis

The Gingerbread Bear

     On the day before we left for the holiday break, I brought along The Gingerbread Bear, author Robert Dennis' amusing new spin on the old tale, to read to my second grade reading intervention class.  As our tale begins, in a small stone cottage tucked way in the middle of Woodlands National Park, we meet a little girl and her mom who are busy in their kitchen.  The mom tells her daughter that she's going to make a very special cookie just for her, a gingerbread bear.  As she places the bear into the oven, the little girl's mother warns her that once the buzzer goes off on the timer, she should NOT open the door.  As she sits by the over, the sweet aroma of the spices from the gingerbread quickly surround her, and despite her mother's warning, curiosity overtakes her.  She slowly opens the door.  To her great surprise, the little gingerbread bear jumps out and takes off running towards the woods, all the while, playfully taunting back at the little girl with the familiar phrase,
              "Run, run, try if you dare.  You can't catch me.  I'm the Gingerbread Bear!"

     As I read this story out loud on a cold Friday morning, much to my complete delight, my second graders were captivated by this new version of the classic holiday tale.  The repetition kept them fully engaged with the story, as they excitedly repeated the little bear's catchy phrase as he tries to out run the little girl, her mother, a group of campers, a wily chipmunk, a famished wolf until he ultimately....well, I'm not going to give it away! :)

The Gingerbread Bear
Written by Robert Dennis & Illustrated by Tammie Lyon
Publisher:  Cartwheel Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
Website: www.scholastic.com
For ages 4 thru 8
Retails for $4.99
ISBN: 978-0-545-48966-9

Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish

Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish
     All Snow Bunny simply wishes for this Christmas is a friend.  On Christmas Eve, Snow Bunny wrote a little note to Santa Claus, asking him to please grant her wish so she doesn't feel lonely anymore.  Sealing up her note in a festive red envelope, she sets outside her tree house to greet Red Robin the Postman, when she sees him flying away past her mailbox!  She doesn't let this setback make her give up her goal, as she heads back inside her house, determined to hand deliver her precious note to Santa herself.  Packing along some frosted star cookies, a warm pair of mittens and her trusty map, little Snow Bunny sets out with her letter in the cold, snowy woods following the North Star towards Santa's house before Christmas arrives.
     Snow Bunny's acts of kindness to all of the critters that she meets on her journey-- which include giving a cold baby bear her red mittens to stay warm while his bear family skates on an icy pond--leave Snow Bunny without the essentials that she quickly realizes that she will need to make it through her journey, almost comes too late! Will the North Star be able to guide Snow Bunny to Santa's house in time?
     Highlighted by author/illustrator Rebecca Harry's warm illustrations of the endearing woodland animals and the snowy woods that little Snow Bunny encounters on her journey to Santa's house, Harry's heartwarming tale truly captures the meaning and spirit of Christmas.

Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish
Written & Illustrated by Rebecca Harry
Publisher:  Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic
Website:  www.scholastic.com
ISBN: 978-0-545-54103-9
For ages 4 and 8
Retails for $16.99
Accelerated Reader Book Level:  3.6
Accelerated Reader Points: 0.5

Santa's on the Loose!- A Seek and Solve Mystery!

    

     Santa Claus' sleigh has been checked twice, and he's ready to make his annual nighttime trip, except that there's just one (BIG) problem---the presents are missing!!!   This colorful and amusing book by author Bruce Hale reminded me of the, "Where's Waldo?" books that where so popular when I was young.  Both you and your little one will have to search among the brilliantly bright illustrations by Dave Garbot to solve the clues.  Who hid the presents, you ask?  Was it Loki, the eyeglass wearing reindeer?  Or could it have been Emo, Santa's elf helper?  With so many suspects,  your little one will have to put on their thinking caps to crack this case before Christmas comes!

Santa on the Loose!- A Seek and Solve Mystery!
Written by Bruce Hale & Illustrated by Dave Garbot
Publisher:  Harper Festival, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Website:  www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Retails for $7.99 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-06-202262-2

It's Christmas (I Can Read Series 3)--- A Modest Momma's Musings for Little Readers Holiday Book Spotlight #1

 
   

 

 It's so hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by, as the holidays are right upon us. A time filled with joyous celebrations shared with our families and friends.  Special moments are created now more than ever, as we pass down family traditions, like sharing our favorite holiday stories with our little ones.  From revisiting those timeless holiday classics like The Polar Express, Olive, the Other Reindeer, Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to visiting new releases featuring popular literary characters like Pete the Cat and Charlie the Ranch Dog, I'll be shining a well-deserved spotlight for the next few weeks on some of these festive literary treasures that are guaranteed to not only spark memories from your childhood, but most importantly, will create new memories that you will love to share with your little ones.
     Happy Holiday wishes to you and your family!

It's Christmas (I Can Read Series 3)
     Filled with lovely holiday inspired poems by our nation's first Children's Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky and delightful bright water colored artwork by illustrator Marylin Hafner, It's Christmas! has been reissued for the HarperCollins I Can Read series of books.  With twelve humorous rhyming verses about Christmas trees, wish lists, nativity plays and caroling, all of those familiar, warm holiday traditions are sweetly shown from a child's point of view.  It's Christmas!  is a fitting read aloud for one child or for an entire group of children.

It's Christmas! (I Can Read Series 3)
Written by Jack Prelutsky & Illustrated by Marylin Hafner
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Website:  www.harpercollinschildrens.com
For ages 4 thru 8
ISBN: 9780060537081
Accelerated Reader Book Level: 4.3
Accelerated Reader Points: 0.5