Book and Gift Pairings for Holiday Giving
Picture books and ideas for gifts to pair with them
Books are always great gifts, but especially at the holidays we may want to give a little bit more. When you pair a book with a coordinating gift, it makes the experience of reading even more fulfilling!
This year’s Read, Discuss, Do! Gift Guide pairs some of our favorite picture books with other gift ideas to help you extend the fun of the story beyond the last page, and maybe even encourage some new experiences. Like growing seeds, baking, or learning a musical instrument! We hope you find some good ideas for readers and doers in your life on this list.
Wintergarden by Janet Fox. Follow along as a young girl plants seeds on her windowsill in the dead of winter. As the seeds sprout, the excitement grows. Gardening isn’t just for summer! Pair this with a packet of seeds for a great gift! (Herb seeds are great for windowsills.)
The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natashca Beibow, illustrated by Steven Salerno. This is the true story of Edward Binney, the inventor of crayons–inspiring kids to draw in color! Crayons and paper would pair perfectly with this book!
The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz. As a tiny dragon, Ember isn’t very scary. He worries he won’t be able to collect a big pile of gold. Yet when he realizes the gold you can make is better than gold you can steal, he finds gold he can share. This cute book would pair nicely with a kids baking set and/or oven mitts. And maybe a toy dragon!
A Friendship Yarn by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Olga Demidova. Badger and Porcupine are close friends and neighbors. When a peddler drops some yarn and gives it to the duo, Badger and Porcupine each pick up an end and begin making creations, not realizing they have different ends of the same piece of yarn, which creates a battle for all of it! Yet when a snowstorm blows in, Badger and Porcupine do the best thing with their yarn. This cozy friendship tale could be paired with a knit sweater or even a skein of yarn for kids to make something themselves.
Another great yarn book: Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
The Popcorn Book by Tomie DePaola. Twins Tony and Tiny love popcorn. While Tony cooks it, Tiny reads about it. Learn all about popcorn in this fun book that’s been around since 1978! A popcorn popper or a box of popcorn would pop perfectly as a pair!
Wake Up, Moon! by Lita Judge. Little squirrel is having too much fun in the snow with his animal friends to go to bed. But as drowsy eyes and yawns slow the animals down, will Squirrel finally go to bed? This book could be paired with a blanket and nightlight or even ice skates or snow gear to mimic when Squirrel was having fun in the snow.
Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book about Building by Kurt Cyrus. This rollicking read-aloud is sure to delight anyone who reads it, especially young fans of books about construction. This book could be paired with a Lego set or set of blocks.
Don’t Eat Bees (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog) This amazing book written by Dev Petty and illustrated by Mike Boldt is sure to make you smile. The “voice” of the dog is so true to life! This is a sure hit for readers of all ages! This could be paired with the game The Honeybee Tree.
Lovebird Lou by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis. Lou thinks he wants to be anything but a lovebird, even a rock! In the end, he realizes that being a lovebird is lovely and that “lovebirds were good at doing the most important thing of all.” Pair this book with this bird cage toy.
La Guitarrista by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player. When a little girl named Canta finds a guitar in the trash, she fixes it up and takes lessons. She overcomes the mistreatment of other kids and finds the canción in her corazón! Pair it with a toy guitar like this one or a real guitar for kiddos ready for lessons.
Big Tractor by Nathan Clement follows the tractor’s jobs during spring, summer, and fall! Pair it with a toy tractor or Little People Farm set.
Another great tractor book: The Tractor Squad by Heather D. Torres, illustrated by Gary Laib
Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwein, illustrated by Fred Koehler. This book is an ode to adventure and imagination as the children in this story use their flashlight as they explore. As they explore, the flashlight beam lights up a whole new imaginary world. Pair this book with a flashlight (or multiple flashlights for siblings) to encourage your little ones to explore and imagine.
Clackety Track by Skila Brown, illustrated by Jamey Christoph. This book of poems for young ones will delight all readers, especially those who love trains! Pair this book with a train set (or new pieces for an existing train set).
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This is fantastic!