Counting to Christmas [Hardcover]

Nancy Tafuri (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

A day-by-day Christmas countdown with Caldecott Honor author/illustrator Nancy Tafuri. This book also shows children how to make Christmas cards, cookies, popcorn string, and animal treats. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?This charming secular book lovingly details a young girl's activities as she counts down the days of December from the first to Christmas Day. Full- and double-page spreads present softly colored watercolor-and-ink artwork highlighted by cheery, bright Christmas reds. Tafuri's signature large-scale pictures are paired with simple sentences using active verbs: "Days 1, 2, and 3/ I paint, cut,/ and paste." Accompanied on most pages by her furry gray dog (sometimes readers will have to hunt to find him), the child bakes, sends cards, makes decorations, and wraps presents. An end section gives how-to instructions and recipes for the yuletide cards, popcorn-cranberry garland, spicy gingerbread cookies, and outdoor animal treats mentioned. This special book is about the love and spirit of the season, and successfully demonstrates how to celebrate Christmas without the overwhelming commercialism so often associated with it.?LF
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 2^-5. Using Advent calendar motifs, this picture book focuses on the activities of a little girl in the days before Christmas. "Days 1, 2, and 3 / I paint, cut, and paste" accompanies a double-page spread of the child pasting a yellow star onto a sheet of red paper. The illustration for "Days 21, 22, and 23 / I trim and gaze" shows her hanging an ornament on a Christmas tree. Words such as trim and gaze may take some explanation for young children, but they'll be interested in the girl's preparations. The large scale of the illustrations relative to the size of the page and the bright colors used throughout make this an excellent choice for story hours. The book ends with a few pages of suggested activities: making holiday cards, popcorn-cranberry garlands, gingerbread cookies, and decorations that can be eaten by animals. A holiday treat for Tafuri fans. Carolyn Phelan

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1st edition (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590271431
• ISBN-13: 978-0590271431
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,228,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy Tafuri is probably best known as the creator of Have You Seen My Duckling?, a 1985 Caldecott Honor Book described by Parent's Choice as "beautifully precise yet emotionally affecting." Trained as a graphic designer, Tafuri has authored more than 45 books over 27 years for the very young. www.nancytafuri.com
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Sweetness, August 20, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Counting to Christmas (Hardcover)

The pictures are bold and capture little attentions right away! We find something new to point out all the time. We checked this book out from the library and fell in love. Santa then gave it to her in exchange for the cookies she baked him. It really helped my 3 year old understand the days involved until Christmas. It also gave me some ideas on traditions we could start as we wait those long 25 days!!