It’s 2024! Snowy Days & Glowing Lanterns
Are y’all staying healthy this time of year? We got hit with a two-week flu that wiped out our Christmas plans. So I’ve been missing from this blog for awhile!
Despite sickness, books have a way of cheering us up. If you haven’t read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats with your child before, this winter is your perfect season to make some new memories together.
A beloved children’s classic about a boy who puts on his red snow suit and explores his snow-transformed city.
I suspect so many children and adults alike adore this story because of its relatable simplicity — it captures the wonder of waking up to fresh snow, making footsteps, building a snowman, dodging snowball fights, and crying when snow melts.
What’s my three-year-old son’s favorite part? When the boy finds the stick! I think my son would draw in the snow and bang a tree exactly the same way. One day soon, we hope to experience some real snow together.
Another perk to this story is that it’s also a new mini movie on Amazon (around forty minutes, I believe.) The movie takes some liberties in adding to the story, including some new characters and a quest to deliver grandma’s traditional Mac-n-cheese for Christmas, but it still preserves the integrity of the book. The music and ambience feel peaceful, calming, and cozy. We’re not big TV people, but when we do allow shows, I’ll gladly choose this one over squeaky-voiced characters, the baby shark song, or squealing race cars.
On another note… we wish you a very happy new year!
After finally recovering from sickness, we attended a local Chinese Lantern Festival. It was truly magical. Now Ezra is obsessed with dragons and soars around our house flapping a blanket behind his shoulders like wings. It’s good fun.
If you’re interested in some books about Chinese New Year, I’d recommend these two below. We don’t celebrate these traditions personally/culturally, but I appreciate how books like these inspire some good conversations. There is so much to learn about this world around us!
For littles (ages 0-3): Happy Chinese New Year! A Festive Counting Story
Help the members of the Chinese Zodiac count to twelve as they get ready for the new year and a yummy feast.
Twelve Zodiac animals gather around, smiling and holding different items to prepare for Chinese New Year.
For older children (ages 4-7 years) :
This book is called a “treasury” for a good reason. If you enjoy interactive books that include recipes, family activities, and traditional folktales, you’re in for a delicious treat!
Cheers to 2024! I’m excited to enter another year with you celebrating kids’ books & new ways to help our children become better readers and life-long learners.
Reading with two of my favorite peeps
