Ten years and 59 books later, my Christmas blogging tradition that began in 2013 continues with another literary December tribute, bringing my Christmas book review total up to 65.  I hope you find some new gems for your Christmas library in the reviews below.

The Legend of the Poinsettia / retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola—Learn about the legend of the flor de Nochebuena in this colorful little book that celebrates the origin of a Mexican Christmas tradition.

Babushka: A Christmas Tale / Dawn Casey (illustrated by Amanda Hall)—A simple tale of generosity and folk lore comes to life with Amanda Hall’s riveting watercolor and crayon art.

The Legend of Papa Noël / Terri Hoover Dunham (illustrated by Laura Knorr)—This picture book is a fun tribute to Christmas traditions in Louisiana.  I like it better than A Cajun Night Before Christmas.  The illustrations are more modern and vibrant, and the story is original.  This story has a sprinkling of dialect and Cajun French words that is enough to make it fun but not so much that it’s a challenge to read aloud.  Also, the book includes a handy pronunciation guide at the beginning.

The Story of Holly & Ivy / Rumer Godden (illustrated by Barbara Cooney)—A Christmas doll named Holly longs for a child of her own as Christmas approaches at the toy shop in Appleton.  At the same time in another city, orphaned Ivy has nowhere to go this Christmas as St. Agnes closes for the holidays.  Sent to stay at another orphanage until after Christmas, Ivy instead sets off on an adventure to find the grandmother she has invented, who lives in Appleton.  This is a charming picture book with illustrations that complement the story with their beautiful richness of detail.

Mistletoe, Merriment, and Murder / Sara Rosett—Military wife and professional organizer Ellie Avery is juggling a lot this Christmas between military spouse Christmas parties, volunteering, taking care of her kids, and worrying about her husband’s next deployment.  Life only gets crazier when another professional organizer sets up shop in town and begins poaching Ellie’s clients…and that’s before Ellie finds herself caught up in the middle of a serial theft investigation and a murder case.  Rosett packs a lot in this Christmastime story, but the setting and characters are oddly winsome for a murder mystery, giving off a Southern Hallmark-like charm despite the less-than-ideal circumstances.  Mistletoe is book seven in the Ellie Avery Mystery series, but I was able to jump right in without any backstory and understand and enjoy the book right away.  Perhaps the best compliment I can give Mistletoe is that it left me interested in trying more installments in the series.

The Dawn of Redeeming Grace / Sinclair B. Ferguson—This Advent devotional offers hymns, prayers, Scripture, and expositions that will help you dive deeper into the Christmas story this December.  I particularly appreciated how Ferguson wove both traditional carols and non-Nativity hymns into the chapters, another reminder that the Christmas story extends beyond the manger.

Merry Christmas and happy reading!