Children's Books at Christmas

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I love decorating the house for Christmas, and the only disappointment I have is the inability to accommodate more of our decorations because we lack the  room for them. Our cat, Emerson, can be trusted with the decoration sitting on every possible shelf, since frankly, he prefers the Christmas trees.  Low hanging Christmas balls better not be breakable, although it is actually sliding and rearranging the tree skirts that he most enjoys.  This year I have given him an entirely new level of Christmas fun with the Singing Santa tree.  Rearranging the artificial forest floor around the trees is his best holiday activity yet! 

However, this is not about Emerson, although he naturally assumes everything is, and his disappointment is apparent, because nothing on the dining room table is small enough to bat onto the floor, or at least knock over...all of the Santas being too heavy.  Since he cannot read, he doesn't see the point in covering the table with books, although he has found one that might be interesting.  I, on the other hand, love the excuse to get out all of the children's Christmas books in my collection out, just for the sheer pleasure of reading and seeing the beautiful illustrations.

I confess, the arrangement was prettier years ago when I had fewer Christmas books, but how could I hurt the feelings of any book by making it think it wasn't loved enough to be included.  There are 44 books, illustrated by 42 different artists.  Seven of the books are "The Night Before Christmas" and 4 are "A Christmas Carol."  There is a "Happy New Year" book, and a "Hanukkah book.  There is a "Nutcracker" book, and  "Jingle Bells," and "The Polar Express.  Obviously, Emerson's favorite is the book titled "The Christmas Cats," although he would have preferred a gray and white cat on the cover.

Many of my favorite illustrators are included.  Larry discovered one he had not seen, a Christmas book about "Franklin and Winston, A Christmas that Saved the World during W.W. II."
  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!  I hope at least a few books are under your Christmas tree, and I suspect the "The Night Before Christmas" just might be read in many homes.