Tandem Staff Recommends: Our Holiday Gift Guide!
As the holidays approach, many of us are looking for the perfect gifts for our loved ones. For the children in your life, the options can be many and overwhelming. It’s our opinion that books are a wonderful choice; you can give one or many, in different shapes and sizes, and the gift of a book is always more than just a book—it’s also an invitation to an experience an adult and a child can happily share, over and over again.
To help with your holiday shopping, we at Tandem, Partners in Early Learning have put together a gift guide! Comprised of staff picks, this gift guide is a microcosm of the book collection at the center of StoryCycles©, our school-to-home book rotation program that brings multilingual, multicultural books to children and families in ‘book deserts‘. Like the 800-plus books in our StoryCycles© collection, this gift guide highlights books written by authors of color and stories that center on children and families of color, intentionally reflecting the communities Tandem serves.
Given that the lack of diversity in children’s literature is a problem, our gift guide—and by extension, our book collection—offers a refreshing contrast. For some children, these books serve as mirrors, reflecting their culture and community and providing resources for crafting positive identities; for other children, these books offer a window into the lives and experiences of those who may look different from them. For all families, books like these provide an entry point for age-appropriate conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Laura Recommends: Stop That Yawn!
One of my newest favorites is Stop That Yawn! by Carol Lewis. It’s about a little girl named Gabby Wild who had “had enough of bedtime.” She begs her granny to take her somewhere “wide awake” and the two of them resolve to party all night in the nocturnal town of “Never Sleeping City.” In order for her plan to work, though, Gabby has to stop a contagious yawn. Gabby’s indomitable spirit, her tenacity, and her childlike fantasies comes alive in LeUyen Pham’s illustrations, and she cleverly connects directly to the readers by breaking the fourth wall. This book comes highly recommended by me, and my two-year-old son who is completely enamored by Gabby Wild.
Emily Recommends: Because I’m Your Dad
This is such a sweet book, and is one of my favorite books to give to new parents! This is a story about a daddy monster and a baby monster, and all the adventures and fun times they will share. Written by Ahmet Zappa, of the famous Zappa family, Because I’m Your Dad is quirky and endearing. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and funny. What I love most about this book is that it offers such a great opportunity for dads and their little monsters to snuggle up and talk about what fun adventures they will share together — just like the characters do in this story!
Savitha Recommends: Please, Baby, Please
Please, Baby, Please is one of the first books that I shared and enjoyed with my son, and it’s one that has continued to delight us over the years. Following a seemingly inexhaustible toddler through the adventures of her day (which starts very early, if the clock on the VCR in the first page is correct), this book captures life with a young child accurately down to the last detail. At the end of the book, the tables are turned, though — “kiss me goodnight, mama, mama, mama, please”, implores the toddler, standing in the doorway of her parents’ room, and the book’s final scene is a loving embrace, leaving readers with all the feels. Written by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee and his producer-wife Tonya Lewis Lee, this book is guaranteed to resonate with anyone who’s ever been either a toddler or the parent of one.
Des Recommends: What If…
What if… is an incredible celebration of a young child’s creativity and resiliency as she contemplates losing something on every page and then how she would overcome a material loss with the power of her creativity. The stunning illustrations make the character’s vivid ideas and solutions breathtaking and inspiring as you turn each page. The best part of the story for me is the underlying message that we are all artists with the ability to create magic without the need for anything beyond one’s imagination, which comes from the author’s Samantha Berger’s own lived experience after her home burnt down. What If… is truly a story of resilience.
Dwyn Recommends: It Feels Good To Be Yourself
This is one of my absolute favorite new books this year. Theresa Thorn’s book has something for everyone. All the colorful illustrations are captivating and full of things to look at and talk about with children. The story itself is a lovely exploration of gender and does a great job of introducing terms to both children and adults. But most of all, the central message about how good it feels to just be yourself is the best. The warm reassurance that it is simply enough to be yourself and to feel good about that rings as true for adults as it does for children.
Savitha Recommends: The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day is a seasonally appropriate timeless classic that is as lovely today as it was in 1962 when it was originally published. This Caldecott-award winning book details Peter’s adventures in his neighborhood after the first snowfall, from making tracks and snow angels, sliding down a hill, and watching — and wisely staying away — from a snowball fight . When I read this with my almost-four-year-old son, we have long conversations about what happened to the snowballs that Peter stashed in his pocket—and what snow is, and how and why it melts. In Tandem parlance, The Snowy Day is both a window, in that it gives my Californian family a chance to look in on the magic of a winter wonderland and a mirror, in that it offers my African-American son a book sharing experience where the main character is a child who looks an awful lot like him.
Kaitlin Recommends: Mary Wears What She Wants
In Mary Wears What She Wants, the main character Mary challenges the way things have always been and the way things people think they should always be. Instead of wearing a dress, Mary scandalously wears pants, challenging the status quo. The book is told with humor and teachers young children that while sometimes others don’t understand what is new or different, it’s worth persisting and being who you are. The story is based on real life trailblazer and activist Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
Tania Recommends: Because
I love Because! It is truly an inspiring book. It follows the journey of a girl who falls in love with music after hearing the orchestra play. She works hard and eventually is able to conduct her own symphony in the same concert hall where she saw her first orchestra. It is so captivating. Every page introduces another step in the creation of the orchestra. It is a great book to introduce children to the orchestra and process of making a symphony.
Paola Recommends: Ten Tiny Babies
I love reading this book to older toddlers. This is a great book to practice counting one to ten. You can follow the body movements on every page. There’s even opportunities for toddlers to show off their toes and nose. It’s an easy fun book to read to your infants, wobblers to young preschoolers! The more you read it, the more you practice counting with your young child.
Kelsey Recommends: Wallpaper
I’m loving Wallpaper by Thao Lam. Follow a shy young girl through magical worlds made of layers of wallpaper as she learns to conquer her fears, reach out a hand, and make a friend. This wordless adventure book opens doors for many rich conversations about emotions, friendship, and overcoming first impressions.
This holiday season, when you’re looking for books to grow the libraries of the children in your life, look no farther than this list our Tandem book collection on Bookshop.org! When you buy your copies these books through our Bookshop collection, a small portion of your purchase supports Tandem as well as local, independent bookstores.
Dwyn Asher
Dwyn is an ambitious arts and crafter and full time cat lady. When she’s not at work, Dwyn is probably in the kitchen, making cheese or canning everything in sight!
