Thursday 5 December 2013

Our favourite winter and holiday books

Please scroll down to continue participating in the Aussie Christmas - Santa Down Under Blog Hop...It is a couple of posts below this one. If you would like to participate in the blog hop, you are more than welcome to and pick up some freebies or learn more about Christmas in Australia...It starts here :)

Please also scroll down for the Holiday Cookie Swap Linky Party (next post down).

I am happy to be linking up with Andrea from Reading Towards the Stars for her link up sharing our favourite holiday/winter books. 

Being Australian, I have some favourite Aussie Christmas picture books to share with you.  You can read about these first two in earlier posts on my blog and there's a freebie for one of them as part of the Santa Down Under blog hop:
 
  
"Blossom Possum and the Christmas Quacker" is a gorgeous newly published title where Blossom Possum and her friends try different ways to wake Koala Claws.  "Santa's Aussie Holiday" is a fun picture book where Santa visits different places around Australia when he takes a break before Christmas Eve.

Another recently published Aussie Christmas picture book that I love is, "We Wish You a Ripper Christmas" - very apt for the name of my blog :)  I am listening to the CD that accompanies this book as I am typing and it is a catchy tune using the lyrics from the picture book - how wonderful that the picture book is also a song - sure to be a big hit with the kids!
http://shop.scholastic.com.au/Product/8206177/We%20Wish%20You%20a%20Ripper%20Christmas%20(with%20CD)   http://shop.scholastic.com.au/Search/my%20christmas%20crackers

Another newly published Australian Christmas title which the kids will love is "My Christmas Crackers"  by Bronwen Davies.  It includes Christmas jokes with the most gorgeous illustrations - I was laughing out loud as I read this book!  It's certain to be a hit with all young comedians :)

Magabala books has published a lovely indigenous Australian Christmas title about a boy living in the Australian outback with only a herd of goats who makes a wish on Christmas Eve that leads to magic and adventure.  You can read a review of this book by clicking on the cover image below:

http://www.magabala.com/books/childrens-picture-books/bubbay-a-christmas-adventure.html

Christmas in Australia happens during our Summer season, so I don't have many books about Winter to share...however, I came across a wonderful title published in 2011 here in Australia, called "Winter's Blanket" by Phil Cummings and illustrated by Donna Gynell.  This is a beautiful picture book, rich with figurative language, onomatopoeia, description and gorgeous illustrations.  Click on the cover image below for a review.
http://www.windyhollowbooks.com.au/products/winter-s-blanket

I hope you enjoy sharing these titles with your family and/or students.  I have resources to support a couple of these titles in my TPT store if you'd like to check them out and I will be adding more soon :)

Don't forget to scroll down for the Santa Down Under blog hop (or click on the link at the top of this post). 

Hop on over to the "Reading Towards the Stars" blog to find out more about Christmas and Winter books.

Also, don't forget that the Facebook Frenzies are on again this weekend, so you can grab lots of teaching freebies by participating :)  My freebie is a resource for learning about Winter idioms.  I am in the Year 5 group for the FB frenzy and it starts here if you'd like to join in.

Have a Ripper Christmas everyone :)

You may be interested in:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Australia-We-Wish-You-a-Ripper-Christmas-Reading-Response-Activities-1010982
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Australia-Blossom-Possum-and-the-Christmas-Quacker-Reading-Activities-979125





Grab your freebie here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-in-Australia-Santas-Aussie-Holiday-Reading-Response-Activities-986534
Please leave feedback in my TPT store - much appreciated and good karma :)

2 comments :

  1. Yay! I am so glad we were able to figure out how to link your post up! Would love to read these books and learn more about how the Aussies celebrate Christmas! Maybe one day I will make it out that way.

    Thanks so much for linking up!
    Andrea
    Reading Toward the Stars

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  2. Thanks for inviting me to participate in your link up Andrea - what a great idea! I can't wait to learn more about other people's favourite books for the holidays and Winter :)
    Kylie

    ReplyDelete