The winter months may be cold, but there are lots of winter festivals and holidays to keep us in good spirits throughout the month of December. OISE library has a large collection of books that can help you bring the celebration of these festivals to your classrooms. All of these materials are in the current display, found on the Ground floor of OISE Library, and are available to check out. Simply speak with the Circulation staff at the Service Desk and they’ll help you out!
In “International Fall Festivals”, Marilynn G. Barr takes you on a journey from continent to continent to celebrate winter festivals and traditions. At each stop, we have a map, regional legends and folk tales, a description of the regional winter festivals, as well as fun activities and crafts to bring the celebrations to life. This book is a great resource to use to show students international winter traditions.
Crafts are a great way to keep your students busy during cold winter days, and you can use “The Best Holiday Crafts Ever!” by Kathy Ross for ideas on fun and easy to make crafts! This resource offers over 10 crafts for all occasions, such as Earth Day, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. All crafts include a list of necessary supplies and tools, as well as easy-to-read instructions. Vibrant and colorful illustrations by Sharon Lane Holm will help students visualize the steps to complete the project and the final outcome.
With Hanukkah just around the corning, you can teach your students about the origins of the holiday and various traditions associated with the holiday using the resources available at OISE library. Bobbie Kalman’s “We Celebrate Hanukkah” covers all aspects of the holiday in an easy-to- read format perfect for children. He provides a description of the origins of Hanukkah, the importance of lighting the menorah, and the different ways Hanukkah is celebrated around the world. The book also features holiday songs, games and crafts.
You can also check out Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith’s “Celebrating Hanukkah”, which follows Leora as her family celebrates Hanukkah. The juvenile fiction books “By the Hanukkah Light”, “The Very Best Hanukkah Gift”, and “While the Candles Burn” offer beautifully illustrated stories following the celebration of Hanukkah. Our juvenile fiction collection also includes “The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes” by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Nancy Cote, which is presented in braille.
Your first stop for information about Christmas should be “The World Encyclopedia of Christmas” by Gerry Bowler. This book provides information on Christmas traditions, as well as the history of Christmas traditions from around the world. From the evolution of the Christmas tree to tales of the numerous saints associated with the season, this book provides a ready reference for all aspects of the holiday.
OISE Library has a number of Christmas craft books, such as “Merry Christmas Everywhere!” by Arlene Erlbach and Herb Erlbach, illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm. This book provides a brief description of global Christmas traditions, as well as fun crafts or treats to make for each destination. Each craft or treat comes with a list of necessary supplies and colorful illustrations of the process.
For more fun Christmas crafts, you can also check out “My Christmas Craft Book for Kids” and “My First Christmas Activity Book”. Both of these books offer a wide range of Christmas crafts, such as flying angels, ornaments, Santa puppets, wreaths, stockings and more! With a list of supplies and detailed instructions on how to make each craft, these books will bring the Christmas spirit to your classroom.
Be sure to share classic Christmas stories, such as the story of Rudolph and his red nose in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Robert L. May and “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore, illustrated by John Steven Gurney.
At the end of the month, we have the celebration of Kwanzaa. Teach you students about the origin of the holiday and the daily celebrations of the festival in “Seven Candles for Kwanzaa” by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney, and “Kwanzaa Kids” by Joan Holub, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. Both of these books provide definitions of festival terms and describe the various activities of the festival.
OISE Library also has a number of videorecordings for the winter holidays, such as “Hanukkah, Passover”, “The Jewish Holidays Video Guide”, “Johann’s Gift to Christmas”, “Christmas Around the World”, and “Seven Candles for Kwanzaa”.
Happy Holidays!