Holiday offerings focus on the classics and heritage: new selections make perfect stocking stuffers

Black Issues Book Review, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Suzanne Rust

FOR GIFT GIVING

Did I Tell You I Love You Today? by Deloris Jordan with Roslyn M. Jordan Illustrated by Shane W. Evans Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, December 2004 $16.95, ISBN 0-689-85271-1 Ages 1-6

A mother makes it her "special" goal to put love into everything she does, from making a healthy breakfast, to getting the kids off to school, to taking time to play in the park, and to reading bedtime stories. The Jordans' (the mother and sister of the basketball star Michael) book will remind parents of the importance of offering and the duty of spreading love throughout the day. Evans's art delightfully complements the theme.

Sleeping Cutie by Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrated by Brian Pinkney Gulliver Books/Harcourt, Inc. September 2004 $16., ISBN 0-152-02544-8 Ages 3-7

The desperate parents of Cutie LaRue, a child who never sleeps, invest in a special talking toy named Night Owl, "guaranteed to put a kid out till dawn." When the little girl discovers that the owl will only sing in the Dreamland Nightclub, she happily follows him there where the Slumber Brothers and the Sand man also perform. Brian Pinkney's vibrant illustrations are charming and spirited.

The Skull Talks Back and Other Haunting Tales Collected by Zora Neale Hurston Adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins HarperCollins, July 2004 $15.99, ISBN 0-060-00631-5 Ages 10 and up

Joyce Carol Thomas has adapted six spooky tales selected from Every Tongue Got to Confess, Hurston's book of folklore. Hurston's stories of talking skulls and skinless witches are sure to give young readers a little scare, and Leonard Jenkins illustrations are appropriately haunting.

Brother Hood by Janet McDonald Farrar, Straus & Giroux, September 2004 $16., ISBN 0-374-30995-7 Young Adult

Young Nate Whitely lives between two very different worlds: the Harlem neighborhood where his friends and family are often on the edge of trouble, and his life at a prestigious upstate New York prep school. McDonald captures some of the dilemmas of this chameleonlike existence.

Jazzy Miz Mozetta by Brenda C. Roberts Illustrated by Frank Morrison Farrer, Straus & Giroux, October 2004 $16.50, ISBN 0-374-33674-1 Ages 4-8

The infectious verve of a feisty elderly woman brings her old checker-playing, stoop-sitting friends back to life and opens the eyes of some young friends. A jazzy dance party ensues. Morrison's illustrations are charged with jitterbug energy.

Setting the Turkeys Free by W. Nicola-Lisa Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max Hyperion Books for Children/Jump at the Sun, September 2004 $15.99, ISBN 0-786-81952-9 Ages 3-6

In this story, a boy's fanciful handmade paintings of turkeys spring to life. And though he tries to protect them by building a Popsicle-stick fence, can he really keep them away from a very hungry Foxy the fox? Young children will be tickled with the colorful handprint and collage turkeys.

Destiny's Gift by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley Illustrated by Adjoa J. Burrowes Lee & Low Books, October 2004 $16.95, ISBN 1-584-30156-2 Ages 6 and up

Destiny enjoys both writing and reading, and one of her favorite places to visit is Mrs. Wade's Bookstore. On Saturdays, Destiny stays in the store until it closes, she helps out by putting new books on the shelf, watering plants and such. During one of her weekly visits, Destiny discovers that the bookstore might close, and she then begins her campaign to help keep the store open.

The story is a timely one. As many black-owned bookstores are closing their doors, the overall message here should alert everyone of the importance of our bookstores.

Skin Again by bell hooks Illustrated by Chris Raschka Hyperion Books for Children/Jump at the Sun, October 2004 $16.99, ISBN 0-786-80825-X Ages 4-7

"The skin I'm in is just a covering. It cannot tell my story," is the opening line of this delightful and simple book, and its message about race and identity delivers an idea that's worthy of a tome--it's what's inside a person that really counts.

CHRISTMAS AND KWANZAA

O Holy Night: Christmas With the Boys Choir of Harlem Pictures by Faith Ringgold Amistad/HarperCollins, October 2004 $18.99. ISBN 0-060-00979-9 All ages

Faith Ringgold's glorious art illustrates the words to five of our most beloved Christmas carols. The accompanying CD from the Boys Choir of Harlem makes this book a perfect holiday experience.

Three Kings Day: A Celebration at Christmastime by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith Photographs by Lawrence Migdale Holiday House, September 2004 $16.95, ISBN 0-823-41839-1 All ages

Three Kings Day (the Feast of the Epiphany), or Dia de los Tres Reyes, is a holiday that celebrates the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, and it is observed on January 6th by many Americans of Latin heritage. This book follows 10-year-old Veronica and her family as they prepare for this festive occasion with its special customs, music and dishes. The colorful photo essays give readers an insider's view and an introduction to this celebration.