LOCAL BOOKSHELF 3 Enchanting Books for Kids This Holiday Season

This holiday season, consider local New England authors when choosing gifts for the family. The following new picture book releases feature authors/illustrators who represent NH, ME, CT, and MA. Each of these selections would make lovely gifts to share with the young or young at heart. "Wake Up, Moon!" By Lita Judge is an enchanting winter book to share with young children. It's about a squirrel who is awake at night after a snowstorm and ventures out to play with other forest friends in the freshly fallen snow. The art captures cozy scenes of the animals, both nestled in their dens and outside, with snow blanketing the ground and trees. The squirrel's home in a hollow tree includes hanging flowers and berries, a shelf of acorns and a cozy nutshell bed. The outdoor scenes are just as magical, with details of snow and ice glistening in the moonlight, accompanied by pops of colorful berries, scarves, and hats. "Wake Up, Moon!" is a call to everyone and everything to wake up to the moment and experience the beauty of winter. The illustrations are captivating, and the repetition of the words "wake up" will have the youngest readers immersed in Judge's charming winter wonderland. Stephen King's "Hansel and Gretel," with Maurice Sendak's illustrations, is nostalgic for those who grew up with Maurice Sendak's books and perfect for fans of Stephen King. It's a retelling of a well-known Grimm's fairytale that will have children riveted as fairytales do. King writes in his introduction, "I tried to leave in all the good parts …" and he did. It follows the original closely enough to feel exactly right, but has variations inspired by the art, which King describes as "sunny on the top and dark inside. Or vice versa." This captures the heart of any fairytale that presents danger that children face and overcome. King's "Hansel and Gretel" would be an excellent gift for elementary age children, the young at heart, and fans of Stephen King and Maurice Sendak! Astrid Sheckels' new release, "Flora and the Jazzers," has all the detailed and whimsical illustrations she is known for in her "Hector Fox and Friends" series with woodland animals dressed in fancy clothing. Unlike Sheckels' previous stories, Flora is set in the city at a hotel where Flora works as a scullery maid. She longs to attend a concert but is refused and told she doesn't belong among the fancy guests. In the first half of the book, Flora is wearing her maid's attire and shown scrubbing floors, pots, and pans. Flora continues to dream and love music until her favorite band accidentally discovers her beautiful voice, and she is recruited to join them, complete with a beautiful flapper-style gown and jewels. The intricate details in Sheckels' art make this a book to settle into this winter and a reminder not to give up on your dreams.