Nothing Brings Warmth to the Holiday Season like Good Books

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” - Garrison Keillor

We here at Scarletta love books, and we know you do too. I can't speak for everyone else but I also love gifts; I imagine you do too. The feeling that somebody out there wants to add something to your life, be it a new car or a pair of socks. I share that same desire you have to give gifts to your family and friends to see the smiles on their faces, and that little flame of pride in your heart that flares whenever you see someone enjoying a gift you gave them in the past.

So if you love books and you love gifts, and I'm comfortable assuming that we've established that, then you must recognize the value of books as gifts. The gift of knowledge, or the gift of laughter, perhaps the gift of curiosity, there is an emotion that goes along with every genre and you're in control of what you give. Sometimes that can be a little intimidating, the number of options may be too large. Let me help you narrow that down with a special offer just for the holiday season.

To: You
From: All of us at Scarletta

If that still doesn't narrow things down enough for you, here are 4 of my own suggestions from the Scarletta catalogs.

A Christmas Recipe: Very Berry Clafoutis

Christmas is fast approaching (that is, if we survive the apocalypse tomorrow), and we're in the mood for sharing. So in that theme, today seemed like a perfect day to share a delicious recipe from our upcoming kids' cookbook, Cool World Cooking by Lisa Wagner.

This sweet and creamy French dessert will surely delight your guests, and since it is part of our kids cookbook, it's simple enough for even the novice baker. And so we present to you, the Very Berry Clafoutis! Bon Appetit!

VERY BERRY CLAFOUTIS

Christmas Advent Calendar—In Books!

We all know the traditional Christmas advent calendars where you get a piece of chocolate every day for the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas. Well this year, we thought we would break that tradition in favor of something a little more bookish . . . and a lot more fun! (Although, if you want, you can still eat the chocolate too.)

In the spirit of the holidays, we put together a list of twenty-four of our favorite children's books—some classics, some new—and made our own advent calendar. You can wrap these up under your tree, and every night before Christmas, your family can read one together. Sounds like the perfect way to get ready for the holidays, no?

Below the image are the links to buy all the books from your favorite bookstore. This Saturday, December 1, just happens to be Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, so grab the kids, head to your local bookstore, and stock up on these holiday favorites!

24. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess
23. Olive, the Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold
22. Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus by Chris Plehal
21. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
20. Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer
19. If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Joffee Numeroff
18. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
17. The Nutcracker (this version) by Susan Jeffers
16. Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
15. A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz
14. The  Worst  Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
13. Dream Snow by Eric Carle
12. The Twelve Days of Christmas (this version) by Laurel Long
11. Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas by Julia Rawlinson
10. The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
9. Eloise at Christmastime Kay Thompson
8. Peef the Christmas Bear by Tom Hegg
7. Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
6. Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Conner
5. Wombat Divine by Mem Fox
4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (adaptation)
3. Bear Stays Up for Christmas Karma Wilson
2. The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
1. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!