12 Books of Christmas - day 1

I've decided maybe I'll do the 12 Books of Christmas...of course with children's books. We'll see if I bite off more than I can chew, because I've not been the best at keeping up with posts!

However - here we go with Day 1:

The Longest Christmas List Ever - by Gregg Spiradellis and Evan Spiradellis

This book is new to us this year - a gift from Grandma Denise. Regardless of this - it has quickly made it in to the VERY regular rotation.
This book is about a little boy named Trevor, who wakes up Christmas morning to a plethora of toys that he loves but keeps tossing aside for the next and the next. In the midst he realizes he forgot to ask Santa for a puppy - so he starts the next year's list right there and then so he's sure not to forget a single item that his heart desires.
He writes day and night for close to a year - filling boxes of lists that stretch through his town. When he goes to mail the list it's too pricey - so he has to try to narrow it to one page and misses the post office cut-off for Santa. So he's terrified of missing presents.
SPOILER ALERT - he wakes up to the perfect present...and realizes that mom and dad must have written Santa and that Christmas is about love and not presents. I won't tell you what that gift is though. HA!

This book is adorably written. It's not too short, not too long - and rhymes in the clever and mild fashion that makes a book fun to travel through.
The illustrations are perfect. The little boy is drawn well, just enough exaggeration with his features to make him an adorable main character with perfect expressions.

I also love the message of this book. It's almost like a fable, with a moral at the end. Trevor learns that love can make a holiday special. He learns that the one perfect gift and the love of your family can override boxes full of material things that won't fill your heart.

In short, it's a keeper.

Stay tuned for - hopefully - 11 more books of Christmas.