10 Great Gift Books for Very Small Children at Christmas

What better gift to give a child at Christmas than a book? When you help foster a love of reading, you give a child a tool for eudcational success and guarantee that that child will be able to occupy him or herself anywhere, anytime, for life, as long as there are books around. But choosing the right books can be daunting. With this in mind, I would like to offer some suggestions for great books kids will love. As I created my list, I realized that the books I chose do tend to favor certain themes: the power of love to transform things, the value of a strong imagination, and the ability to face the unknown and not only survive, but have a great adventure along the way. These themes, and these books, are timeless. Let's start with a few books about the holiday.

1. Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury, by Jan Brett Children love Jan Brett's whimsical illustrations and wholesome messages, charmingly told. This book contains seven previously published favorites, including The Mitten, The Night Before Christmas, The Twelve Days of Christmas, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, The Hat, and two original stories about trolls.

2. The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg Even if your child has seen the movie, he or she will be enchanted by the beautiful book, with its breathtaking illustrations and magical story of Santa and the power of believing.

3. The Little Drummer Boy, by Ezra Jack Keats Three-to-eight year olds will love Ezra Jack Keats' simple retelling of the popular Christmas carol about the boy who had only the gift of music to offer the Christ Child. The mixed-media illustrations make this book a standout. Then,because it's Christmas and a gift book should be really special, let's look at classic books that have proven their popularity over time:

4. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst Children have been identifying with Alexander's very bad day since 1987, and there's no reason to think they will ever stop. After seeing how Alexander gets through his day, a kid can get a little perspective when he has a bad one of his own.

5. Corduroy, by Don Freeman Love looks beyond appearances in this story that has been loved by children and their children since 1967, as raggedy Corduroy finds a friend and a home.

6. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak I confess; this is one of my three favorite children's books. (We will get to the other two in a minute.) The story of Max and his adventures with the Wild Things has an important message about learning how to control "wild" feelings, but really, it's just a whole lot of fun to read, with Maurice Sendaks' fabulous monstrous-yet-lovable drawings filling out all the details.

7. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak This is my second favorite children's book, and I think maybe I love it even more than Where the Wild Things Are. Mickey takes a wonderful, surreal journey into the "night kitchen" and back home again, with illustrations that float from panel to panel with some of the feel of a colorful graphic novel for the very young. I adored the way Mickey uses his creativity time and again to save the day. I've never met a child who didn't love this book.

8. The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams The third of my favorites, and a book I think has changed the lives of many children who had it read to them, and later read it to themselves. The timeless story of the power of love and what it means to be "real" is one that never grows old. The world, I think, is a better place for every child who embraces the story of The Velveteen Rabbit.

9. The Giving Tree, by Shel Silversteen This story about a tree that loves a little boy and sacrifices everything to make him happy is a favorite of little ones, and a great chance for discussion about love and devotion and friendship (did the tree give too much? Was the boy too selfish?) for older children and even adults. Either way, children love it and the few words and simple drawings work together perfectly. It is in many ways a sad book, but children are perfectly capable of accepting many complex emotions in their stories. Any classic fairy tale illustrates that.

10. Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson I asked my husband what book he remembered loving most as a child, and he chose Harold and the Purple Crayon. I recently read it to a group of 3 and 4 year olds, and they all loved it, too. After over 50 years, this tribute to the power of the imagination still delights little ones. Harold and his oversized crayon create their own world, with great common sense and total control. Another fifty years from now, I imagine this one will still be a favorite. So give one of these books, or, for that matter, all of them, to a child in your life, and you'll give a gift that may stay with them after all the toys are forgotten or broken.