GIVEAWAY: Beautiful New Holiday Book for Children

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mamapundit giveawayI mentioned a few weeks ago that I would have some fun giveaways to share on my blog during this winter holiday season, and here’s one of my favorites. I have a hardcopy edition of an absolutely gorgeous new children’s book – The Nutcracker: A Magical Theater Book - to send to a winning reader.

 

Details of how to enter the giveaway are at the end of this post, but first, let me tell you a bit about this lovely book, which five year old C and two year old G have been enjoying for several weeks now, after I was lucky enough to receive a copy for our family to check out.

One of my favorite things about this newest imagining of The Nutcracker is how incredibly tactile it is. The book is heavy and substantial, with sturdy, old-fashioned binding and thick, glossy pages. It’s a book that isn’t meant to only be read to or by your children, it’s meant to be touched and turned and carried around by little hands.

 

And speaking of little hands, this book’s heft and sturdy construction mean that I can allow even my two year old to hold and turn the pages, and not worry that she will accidentally tear or otherwise damage it. This is the kind of heirloom quality children’s book that you and your children simply can’t experience via Kindle or iPad download.  It’s a book to be enjoyed now and then passed along to another generation of children later.

The book’s illustrations offer a soft, hazy and warm version of the famous ballet, making it inviting for little readers and listeners by avoiding emphasis on some of the scarier imagery (those rats!) that have sometimes popped up in other Nutcracker storybooks. For my princess-obsessed little girls, the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy’s appearance is definitely the highlight of the narrative. They are thrilled when we get to that page every time.  Plus, in addition to the sweet illustrations, the book is full of intricate, clever die cut outs with moving characters that make the story even more lively when reading it, just like a ballet in a book.

After having read the book with C and G many, many times in recent weeks (!!!), I am now planning to next month take C (and maybe even G if I am feeling particularly brave) to see the ballet for the very first time. And because she’s come to know the story already,  it will make the ballet more understandable and enjoyable for her as the dancers perform it.

So now that I’ve told you how much we are enjoying this beautiful new book here at Casa Hickju,  I am excited that I get to give a copy to one of you to enjoy with the children in your life.

Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

- Leave a comment on this blog post before midnight EST on Monday, November 19 2012 sharing your favorite winter holiday book or movie to share with your children (or grandchildren or nieces and nephews, etc etc) each year.

-When you leave your comment-slash-entry, be sure to enter a REAL email address where I can REALLY contact you if you win. Your email address is only visible to me, not to blog readers.

-On Tuesday, November 20, I will select the winner by assigning each entry a number, and entering the numbers into Random.org.  I will announce the winner on my blog on Wednesday, and will also contact the winner by email to ask for a mailing address to which the winner’s copy of The Nutcracker: A Magical Theater Book will be shipped.

And that’s it! Easy as pumpkin pie. I can’t wait to read about your own holiday favorites. Also, if any of you would like to order the book for yourselves, you just go HERE and enter the code NUTCRACKER for a 25% discount.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!! And a big thank you to the fine folks at Chronicle Books for giving me the chance to review this new book, and to offer a copy to one of y’all.

 

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78 thoughts on “GIVEAWAY: Beautiful New Holiday Book for Children”

  1. This is baby's first Christmas, so perhaps he won't enjoy it as much as the rest of us, but it's a family tradition to all gather round and watch (the animated version of) How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It's Grandpa's favorite and I can't wait to see him share it with his first grandchild!

  2. My 3yo loves How the Grinch Stole Christmas – both the book and movie. It really is a witty movie (the old animated version) and I've really liked re-discovering it too.

  3. one night during the first week of december we do the whole hot cocoa, lots of marshmellows and jammies on read the polar express!! my babies are 12 and 2 growing and any time I can get them to sit "together" and enjoy something is so worthi it!!

  4. "your favorite winter holiday book or movie to share with your children"

    Bad Santa (unrated)

    I never said I was freakin' parent of the year.

  5. Every year we read….the Nutcracker before heading out to see the performance a week before Christmas. We have a very old,simplified version of the book and I know my (now 7 year old) daughter would delight in those colorful pages and a fresh look at the story.

  6. This is a really hard question because our tradition is to give each child a Christmas book every Christmas Eve. We used to have quite a collection. There are many that are dear to us, but perhaps my all-time favorite is the very first we acquired: The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola.

  7. We love the Polar Express movie and book! It has been a favorite for several years in our house!

  8. I would look around and see if you can find a "Mini-Nut" performance – it's been cut down so the whole thing is more manageable for younger kids (and you don't miss the cut out parts). There are a few places in my large city that offer a mini nut, all at matinees. I would bet there may be options in your city.

    So we are looking forward to the mini nut in a few weeks. Otherwise, our favorite book or movie has to be the Grinch. Definitely a highlight of the season.

    • @AwwTrouble – I've never heard of a "mini nut" performance. What an awesome idea for littler kids. Now I'm definitely going to look for one. Thanks!!

      Katie

      • There is a performance this weekend of Oak Ridge Civic Ballet. It is at O R High School….PERFECT for little ones! About 1 hr long & absolutely adorable!

  9. Each year, my (grown up) kids, husband and I enjoy "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and we always read" The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve to the grandkids.

  10. We love all the Charlie Brown Holiday classics DVDs. We've watched It's the Great Pumpkin, and will soon watch the Thanksgiving Special. And soon after that it's time for the Christmas Special! Peanuts is our favorite!

  11. My kids are both in college but one of favorite books STILL is "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey"… makes me cry every time!

  12. My kids are both in college but one of our favorite books STILL is "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey"… makes me cry every time!

  13. "emphasis on some of the scarier imagery (those rats!) that have sometimes popped up in other Nutcracker storybooks."

    You mean storybooks that are actually telling the story of the Nutcracker?

    • @clisby – the story is accurate, but there aren’t lots of illustrations of terrifying rats ;-)

      • So … it's not really telling the story of the Nutcracker? The rats are supposed to be scary.

  14. I'm still looking for a holiday go to – right now my kindergartner actually loves both her Sesame Street Christmas and Hannukah 101 type books. This book could be a contender!

  15. This is my baby's first Christmas and I am so looking forward to starting traditions and making memories. My husband and I watch every holiday favorite on TV, we drive and look at Christmas lights, we sing loudly to the all Christmas music stations and we snuggle in front of the fire place. It will be magical to see our son on his first Christmas…he won't understand this year, but I know there will be joy and wonder in his eyes.

  16. We do Jammies and a Book each year on Christmas Eve! We have all the classic characters like Charlie Brown, The Grinch…etc… My kids might differ, but my two personal favorites are 1) The Night Before Christmas, with the Old Time Coca-Cola Santa. I love the way this one is illustrated. It was one of the first ones we gave to our oldest, so it's over a decade old now. AND 2) My MIL gave us a beautiful book about the nativity. It's beautiful, and it's an old Spanish, Catholic version that's been translated into English. We are neither Spanish, nor Catholic, but there is just something so, so special about the way Jesus' birth is told in that book.

    Movie? Elf, Duh. :)

  17. My 3yo loves How the Grinch Stole Christmas – both the book and old animated movie. I’ve enjoyed the movie all over again since it’s so witty! We’re also braving the Nutcracker for the first time this year, so the book as an introduction would be perfect.

    • It looks like I posted twice on accident! (about the 3yo, not the baby). Sorry! Please only enter me once in the contest.

  18. Every year we read the Nutcracker before heading out to see the performance a week before Christmas. We have a very old,simplified version of the book and I know my (now 7 year old) daughter would delight in those colorful pages and a fresh look at the story.

  19. Oh – there are so many to choose from! I guess I would say the movie “Home Alone”.

  20. Our favorite has been the classic 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. My kids have me read it all year long.

  24. As a grandmother & preschool teacher, it's absolutely "A Muppet Family Christmas". Both generations of children in my family have loved it as a true classic. (watch out for the icy spot!) This can be hard to find…

  25. "a christmas story" — hands down FAVORITE christmas movie in this house (and "frah-jill-ay" is a normal part of our household lexicon, although sometimes we just call the breakables "italian", lol.

  26. Favorite book has to be 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I used to collect copies.

    Favorite movie? A Muppet Christmas Carol!!

  27. This morning we watched "Santa Clause 3"—-which gained new status with me because of the magical power of a hug melting evil Jack Frost at the end of the movie.

    Traditionally, we enjoy "A Christmas Story" because it reminds us old people of what Christmas was like when we were kids. :)

    The favorite story book changes each year as the kids get older, but for a long time it was "Little Critter's Just 4 U"…..:)

  28. I've been a Tchaikovsky lover forever and my Dad and I head to the symphony a couple of times a year as Daddy/daughter times for years. It's our tradition together- he was the one who waited outside piano and singing leasons when I was young. We've seen the Nutcracker before but this year, for the first time, we're taking my two oldest, ages 6 and 4 to see it. It's my Dad's gift to us. I can't wait- they're totally into the ballerina stage and we've been listening to the CD in the van.

  29. Polar Express is a favorite! My daughter got to dance in The Nutcracker with the Knoxville City Ballet one year! One year my son was chosen and she wasn't, so he gave his role to another boy! Many sweet memories!

  31. William and the Christmas Moon by Laura Robinson. It's a shadow casting book and each page is laser cut so while you're reading you're also casting shadows on the wall. This has never failed to keep little ones totally enamored.

  32. My mother read to my son (graduating 12/15 from a school close to you) and all my nieces and nephews in her lap until they nearly "broke" her. "The Night Before Christmas" was their favorite and last year I had my mother do one of those "recording books" so she can read to his children someday too. He says it is his favorite gift of all time. He was born on her 60th birthday. Her favorite gift of all time.

  33. We're fans of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. We may branch into the Grinch (likely the cartoon) this year.

    Only just catching up — so glad G is OK!

  35. I like Edward Scissorhands, and the kids don't have to be *that* old. There's something about the snow that makes it a holiday movie for me.

  39. We all love a book version of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas that is illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. We've had it since my 7-year-old son was a baby, and he and his now 4-year-old brother still love to look at all the rich, detailed pictures, exclaiming over the helpful and silly elves, the reindeer with blue and purple eyes, and all the toys to be found in each picture. Her version of Santa is exactly what they see in their mind's-eye, and the "moon on the breast of the new fallen snow" is magical each and every time we read it.

    • we have this one too!! got it when our firstborn (now 9.5) was a baby. of all the 'twas the night before christmas books we have in our collection – and we have many different versions – this is my personal absolute favorite!!

  40. Looks beautiful! I was just thinking about ordering a few holiday books for my two-year-old, we don't have many in our collection yet. Thanks so much for the opportunity, my fingers are crossed!

    • Oops, forgot to respond with our favorite – I always grew up reading "The Polar Express" and "The Night Tree" on the night before Christmas. They are still favorites today. I'm going to be reading through other comments to check out some new ideas for our collection!

  42. I love reading The Polar Express at Christmas time as a before bedtime story for my niece. But, my personal favorite for me to read is The Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever.

  43. Would love to add this to our collection of Christmas books.

    A beautifully illustrated Twas the Night before Christmas is one of my favourites. Also, I never tire of reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

    Thank you!

  44. My daughter is 1 and my son is 1 month at the moment so no real traditions yet. However my favorite thing growing up was that every christmas eve my older brother (by 6 years) would allow me to sleep in his room for the night. My mom would get goodies for us to eat like popcorn and some candy and we would watch ´A Christmas Story´ until we fell asleep. I realize now that this was so my mom could wrap presents and get everything set up for the next morning and my brother was a good sport to let his baby sister sleep in his room.

    I think I´ll have my kids bunk together on Christmas Eve as well – watching movies and eating junk, just not for a few more years!

  45. We break out all the awesome jan Brett books each year – gingerbread baby, Christmas trolls, the hat. Her winter themed books are fantastic.

  46. My daughter is 1 and my son is 1 month at the moment so no real traditions yet. However my favorite thing growing up was that every christmas eve my older brother (by 6 years) would allow me to sleep in his room for the night. My mom would get goodies for us to eat like popcorn and some candy and we would watch ´A Christmas Story´ until we fell asleep. I realize now that this was so my mom could wrap presents and get everything set up for the next morning and my brother was a good sport to let his baby sister sleep in his room.

    I think I´ll have my kids bunk together on Christmas Eve as well – watching movies and eating junk, just not for a few more years!

  47. I can't wait until my kids (now 5 and 3) are old enough to appreciate White Christmas. My sister and I have watched it every year since we were in high school and we still know all the words to all the songs. Its a great family memory and I am looking forward to watching it with my kids!

  48. We love to share the Grinch Who stole Christmas and the Polar Express. But it is always a treat to read/sing Frosty the Snowman.

  49. I hope that Chanukah books/movies "count" ;-) … we LOVE The Flying Latke, written by Arthur Yorinks and William Steig (who is a wonderful kids' author – we probably came close to reading the cover right off of his Pete's a Pizza). The Flying Latke is one of a handful of kids' books that I never packed away and still sits on my son's bookshelf – he's 16 YO; I still pull it out every year to revisit it. The authors capture the chaotic dynamic of a family holiday dinner perfectly! I still remember reading it to my son's kindergarten class (he went to kindergarten at our synagogue) and the kids (and teachers) were just *rolling* with laughter. It is a truly funny book (and you don't have to be Jewish to like it!) We also really enjoyed Herschel and the Hanukkah Gremlins, by Eric Kimmel.

    Movie-wise, we enjoyed watching the Rugrats and Sesame Street Chanukah movies (from the Shalom Sesame Street series) as a family when my son was little (there's not exactly a plethora of Chanukah classics to choose from, aside from the one that Adam Sandler made!)

    With regard to Christmas films, I've watched Miracle on 34th Street (original version – in B/W – with Natalie Wood and Maureen O'Hara) every year since I can remember; I finally broke down and bought the anniversary edition on Blu-Ray last year. Love. It. And, as far as more modern Christmas fare, I think Elf rocks! (To those who have mentioned The Grinch movie … are you referring to the original animated version or the Jim Carrey live-action film?)

  50. I'll go local here and cite my childhood tv show Passe-Partout that is aired around Christmas time. It is so fun to enjoy it with my girls.

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