Christmas Magic
By Lauren Thompson, Illustrated by Jon Muth (Scholastic Press, $16.99)
The thing about Santa books around the holidays is that they can sometimes be a little too jolly (not to mention a little too focused on the whole materialistic, gimme-more-presents thing). Sometimes, with Santa, there’s plenty of plastic and packaging, but not much when it comes to purpose.

But this year, there’s a wonderful Christmas book that gives Santa and his reindeer their due, but also focuses on all the delightful anticipation and preparation of the entire season – all the delicious rituals and traditions leading up to Christmas – plus just the right sprinkling of real Christmas magic at the end, making it an almost perfectly balanced holiday book.

In Christmas Magic, illustrator Jon Muth — whose excellent, good-message-without-being-too-preachy books The Three Questions and Zen Shorts foreshadow the kind of even-handed touch he’d have with the most widely marketed time of the year — and author Lauren Thompson — with her gentle, almost murmured prose — collaborate to create wintry calm and shivery excitement that will put Christmas Magic in your stack of traditional holiday read-alouds, right next to Twas the Night Before Christmas and the Grinch.
— Terra Elan McVoy

A Christmas Memory
By Truman Capote (Random House)
This was not written as a children’s book, but adults read, too, and this is also a wonderful piece to read to kids.

Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory originally appeared as a magazine article in 1956, though most people have discovered it as a short story included within paperback editions of the novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s. More recently it has been published as an illustrated, stand-alone book.

I am a huge fan of Capote’s — fiction, nonfiction, and the lines that he blurred. A Christmas Memory holds up to his very best; a true gem within Capote’s small treasure trove of work. The story tells of a relationship between a young boy and an elderly cousin during the Great Depression, and speaks to family, love, holiday traditions and loss.
— Dave Shallenberger

Adventures of Meno
Written and illustrated by Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi (Simon & Schuster, $9.99)
Spiderwick Chronicles co-creator, Tony DiTerlizzi, and his wife, Angela, have brought us the adorable and irreverent Meno, Elf of Space, a little guy who has traveled from the farthest reaches of the galaxy to engage in fun and friendship here on Earth.

The first two Meno picture books — just released, with more to follow — have the old-timey, vintage feel in both picture and simple text of classic Little Golden Books, but otherwise, are not the least bit traditional.

In fact, they are just plain silly. Meno’s ideas for fun are both off beat and well-intentioned and certain to make both adults and children giggle out loud. He is still mastering the English language, and a sharing of his adventures begs for a silly voice. The irreverence alone makes these a worthwhile try for you and your little one.

Most importantly, in what other picture book will you find an illustrated David Hasselhoff?
— Diane Capriola

Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem
By Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex (Hyperion, $16.99)
Some books are less concerned with concepts like logic or reality. As punishment for not cleaning his room, Billy Twitters is given a blue whale by his parents. Now he has to figure out how to take it to school with him and to feed it. The story takes a good number of curious turns all the way to the end.

Adam Rex, one of my favorite illustrators — he’s an excellent author as well — applies his magic again and adds to absurdity. There is a level of subversiveness at work here that is in the best tradition of Dr. Seuss and Jon Scieszka.
— Dave Shallenberger