Manning Hall, never sweeter ... This gingerbread creation by Dr. Brian Sturm, above, features marshmallow columns, liquorice steps, and patterns of candy corns, red hots, lemon slices, gum drops, Tootsie Rolls and M&M's throughout. “Nibble, nibble, little mouse, Who is nibbling at my house?” (Catherine Lazorko photo)

Dr. Brian Sturm, a SILS assistant professor who specializes in children’s literature, shares his holiday spirit by baking scrumptious treats (and veritable works of art, see left) and reading aloud his favorite holiday stories to young audiences.

Below, find a list of his favorite holiday books for children of all ages. To discuss any of these or add to his list, contact him at sturm@ils.unc.edu

Brian Sturm's Holiday Book List

New Favorites:
Douglass, Susan. Ramadan. Illus. by Jeni Reeves. Lerner, 2003.
Due out in hardback in January 2004, this paperback is beautifully illustrated and briefly covers the fundamentals of Islam and then focuses on the celebration.

Katz, Karen. My First Kwanzaa. Henry Holt, 2003.
Bright collage illustrations share the story of a young girl’s family experience of Kwanzaa.
Oberman, Sheldon. By the Hanukkah Light. Boyds Mills Press, 2002.
Warm colors and gently rounded figures set the tone for a grandfather sharing stories of the origin of Hanukkah and his own holiday miracle during World War 2.

Randall, Ronne. The Hanukkah Mice. Chronicle Books, 2002.
With flaps hiding shiny foil surprises, readers will find a different Hanukkah tradition on each page, until the very end when they finally discover the beautiful menorah, with all eight candles burning brightly.

Sabuda, Robert. The Night Before Christmas Pop-Up. Little Simon, 2002.
Sabuda has taken pop-up books to stunning new heights. His Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and The Twelve Days of Christmas pop-ups are also exquisitely done (but not meant for little hands). These are treasures for the entire family.

Slate, Joseph. Little Porcupine’s Christmas. Illus. by Felicia Bond. HarperTrophy, 2003.
This story, first published in 1982 as How Little Porcupine Played Christmas is a delightful tale. Bond’s illustrations still capture the magic of the little porcupine who wants to be in the Christmas play despite his quills.

Steiner, Joan. Look-Alikes Christmas: the more you look, the more you see. Little Brown, 2003.
Steiner uses odd objects (a loaf of bread for a tunnel, kidney beans for fireplace bricks, etc.) to create delightful illustrations that will entertain kids for hours as they explore what’s really in these pictures.

Past Favorites:
Climo, Shirley. The Cobweb Christmas. Illus. by Joe Lasker. Thomas Crowell, 1982.
A touching story of an old woman who wants some Christmas magic not of her own making. The spiders cover her tree in cobwebs, and Christkindle turns them to gold and silver tinsel.

Ghazi, Suhaib Hamid. Ramadan. Illus. by Oman Ryyan. Holiday House, 1996.
Beautifully illustrated in watercolor with Islamic stylistic techniques, this book is my favorite picture book of Ramadan.

Kimmel, Eric. Herschel and the Hannukah Goblins. Illus. by Trina Schart Hyman. Oxford University Press, 1992.
Another gorgeous book (Hyman’s work is always stunning) about a young boy who comes up with some clever ways to drive goblins from the old synagogue.

Seuss, Dr. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Random House, c1957.
One of the classic Seuss stories of greed and kindness. The animated film is good, the book is better!

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express. Houghton Mifflin, 1985.
This classic tale of the magic of Christmas uses light, color, shadow, and perspective to highlight an unforgettable story. A surrealistic classic!

Washington, Donna L. The Story of Kwanzaa. HarperCollins, 1996.
Kwanzaa comes alive in this well-crafted and delightfully illustrated story.