Stories and Bookmarks on the Bus

Today was all about reading stories related to Christmas. We have been getting Christmas-related books out of the local library and looking up our own books since the start of the month. As we are not religious, there are no stories involving the birth of Jesus here. Although I am keen that my children understand why we celebrate the day of the birth of Jesus, on the whole I think they are a bit too young to fully grasp the meaning of religion and faith. I prefer for now to discuss the religious aspects by the way of song and personal story-telling (see the entry on our Nativity Scene Box day).

The books I chose are therefore mostly centered around the experience children have of Christmas in the West, and not around the experience evoked by Christianity. The themes involved are no less worthy however, and fully understandable by little ones: generosity, togetherness, being lost and found again, and the discovery of Christmas symbols (tree, decorations, Santa Claus). Our reading list is as follows:

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Little Robin Red Vest by Jan Fearnley
Zoe's Christmas List by Mick Inkpen and Chloe Inkpen
The Gift of Christmas by Gaby Hansen and Christine Leeson
Elmer and Papa Red by David McKee
Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers by Lynley Dodd
Little Deer Lost by Janet Bingham and Rosalind Beardshaw

More suited to Lilo's age:
That's not my Santa by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells
Spot's Snowy Day by Eric Hill

Stick Man and Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers are both written in rhyme, which makes it great for younger readers too, as the music of the language appeals to them particularly. My personal favourite is Little Robin Red Vest, which is a warming tale of how (and why) Father Christmas gave little robin his red breast (vest).

We were lucky to have the Play Talk Read bus in our neghbourhood today, so after our visit to the library, we went and read a few more Christmas stories on board of the purple double-decker bus. The Play Talk Read initiative is run by the Scottish Government and promotes reading, playing and learning for babies and toddlers. On the bus, there are toys, books, discovery boxes, a sandpit and a craft table. The boys made some Christmassy bookmarks there.

The boys Christmassy bookmarks

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