5 (More!) Good Christmas Books (3-5 year olds)

I introduced some lovely concepts related to this festive season last year, from elves to chimneys, so this year we got some more! As Santiago has a dearth of english book stores (and my poor little iPad crashed *sad face* ....*tears*) I ordered some from scholastic - that were bulked ordered by his school. Expensive stuff, but good nonetheless. Here are some good ones! 

5 Good Christmas Related Books - Introducing Christmas to my 3 y.o.

As this is the first time I'm reading Christmas related books to my 3 y.o. son, each one is taking longer than usual. I'd to explain everything from the concept of Santa, Stockings, Elves, Flying Reindeer, why Rudolph's nose is relevant, and also concepts like Hibernation, Chimneys, & introduction to animals such as Gopher, Badger & Mole!

I envy the 75 Christmas Books for Kids list prepared by Allison as unfortunately only a handful are available for sale in India! I searched for most of these titles individually (which took a LO..OT of time) So let me save you the trouble and tell you right away which are the ones you can get online for under $8

Children's Books on our shelves these days

I would love to have a book stand where I could display our children's book collection in a front facing manner. Like he has in his school. That idea ain't materialising anytime soon, but I did reorganise the existing book shelf. I.e. remove all books that aren't age appropriate! He's 2.5 y.o. so it's time for board books to disappear into storage boxes. Gone are the days (almost) when I went crazy searching high and low for those treasures, shelled out a lot of money (which I def didn't mind) and stuffed the entire bookshelf with his bulky books (I've been exclusively buying my books on kindle anyway). Books for his current age are thinner, cheaper and easily available.

So here are a few collections we are reading these days:

 

Books by Katha

Katha books: I happened to find these treasures published by Katha, a non profit publication at a nearby art shop. I bought 10 books (all of em for ₹1000 only) including a few I'll read to him maybe a year later. The gorgeous paintings beautifully complement the touching storylines.

A Lion in Paris is really adorable, inspired by the Lion of Denfert-Rochereau square in Paris, about how he came to Paris, to the Gare De Lyon station, walked around cafés, patisseries, rivers, streets, climbed up the Eiffel Tower, visited the Monalisa, and finally found 'his' place where he could stay content and happy.

New Books on the shelf!

I was glad to pop by "Crosswords" and "Mom and Me" after we shifted in. The variety here is so different from that available in Indonesia AND the prices were half as much too! Here are a few worth raving about, both story lines and pictures are addictive.

  

Happy pops: Lady bird (by the book company)

About a ladybird who is out coaxing here bug friends to join her on a holiday. But the spiders busy repairing his web, the bees busy collecting nectar, the caterpillars busy eating to turn into a butterfly and so on!

 

Brown Watson books (and where to buy English books in Jakarta)

It’s very important for me to have my child be interested in books. And it’s solely my responsibility to make him & keep him interested in books from the very beginning. It doesn’t matter if they’re just cartoons or if I have to read each book 1275 times. Kinokuniya book store (The only book store other than perhaps Periplus that stocks a good deal of English books in Jakarta) is conveniently next to my grocery store and I usually step in for half hour or so before grabbing the grocery shopping cart. (Although I don’t bother browsing books for me, as ebooks from Amazon or even paperbacks back home in India are at least half the price compared to sky high prices in Indonesia!)

It takes a loooong time to select a book, because before I think of what may appeal to my kid, I have to think of what appeals to me first, to have the patience to read it enthusiastically each of those 1275 times! I am very particular about illustrations more than anything. I believe there is no point buying toddlers’ books with illustrations that are “artsy”, or too small, colourless, too vague or too few in number. In the end of the day, a cow needs to look like a cow! And although you can simplify & customize the story, toddlers will connect primarily through the pictures- so there must be a correct correlation between the picture and what I’m narrating! So If I say little Ms. muffet is frightened, it must LOOK like she’s frightened!

I have several puppet books, Barney books, Disney books, book of 1000 words etc. (I can rattle off their contents in my sleep now), but I want to particularly highlight Brown Watson Children’s books. Here are a few we have and have loved: