3 picture books that need to be under your tree!

I'm a big believer in giving books as presents, and the holiday season is the perfect time to do that, as there is a fresh crop of new releases just coming off the presses. These three books all fit that bill, and I highly recommend all of them for the young readers on your list.

Bunny Slope, by Claudia Rueda

This is one of the cutest and more original children's picture books I've seen in a long time. Perfect for storytime with your little ones, Bunny Slopes takes storytime to a new, interactive level. Bunny wants to go skiing, but there's no snow! Can you shake the book to make it snow? Then, Bunny needs help swooshing down the ski hill. can you give him a a tilt? Little readers will love getting the chance to help the story along. Parents beware: This is one book you are going to be asked to read "just one more time" all throughout the winter season.

Waiting for Snow, by Marsha Diane Arnold and illustrated by Renata Liwska

Like many little ones, Badger can't wait for the snow to fall. Despite his every effort (and he comes up with some pretty wild ideas) he just can't make the snow come. Until....it does. A beautifully written and illustrated tale, Waiting for Snow teaches kids in a gentle way about patience and how nature will runs on no one's schedule but its own, no matter how much we try (or how well-meaning our friends are!)

Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavolva, by Laurel Snyder, Illustrated by Julie Morstad

What first struck me about this stunning book is that it is biographical. Although I know that there are other books about real-life people out there that are geared towards children (and many of them are great) Swan takes a different approach. It's written in the form of a story, with beautifully spare, lyrical prose. I've long been a fan of the illustrations in picture books, and this one is quite likely going to take its place among my favourites. The muted colours and delicate figures beautifully complement the spare telling of the story.

This is the story of the night a young girl's mother takes her to the ballet for the first time, and it turns out to be a night that would change the course of the girl's whole life. She would go on to become the most famous prima ballerina of all time. If you have a little girl in your life who aspires to take the stage in a tutu and pointe shoes, or indeed any child who loves a good story, this is a good choice this holiday season.

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