The Three Bears’ Christmas by Kathy Duval, illustrated by Paul Meisel is a charming holiday version of the classic three bears story. Meisel’s art is evocative of a classic Christmas story, further tying the new to the old. The three bears go out while their gingerbread bears are cooling and when they return they have familiar tell-tale signs of someone having been there. But this time, that someone has left behind a mitten, hat, boots and coat all red with white fur trim. This is a perfect holiday book to share during Christmas storytimes with preschoolers.

Girl, (Nearly) 16: Absolute Torture by Sue Limb is the sequel to Girl 15, Charming but Insane. As with most sequels, it doesn’t reach the heights of hilarity of the first book, but it does allow readers to return to the world of future stand-up comic Jess, her new boyfriend Fred, strange librarian mother, and blood-thirsty Granny. In this book, Jess’s questions about her parent’s divorce are finally answered. There are laugh-out-loud moments again, mostly created by Jess’s witty comments and asides. The writing is just as sharp and smart as the first book, and the jealousy and elation of new love is perfectly captured.

The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan, illustrated by Gunnella.
In a village in Iceland, the women could not reach the eggs of the wild birds because they lay them on the cliffs. So the ladies get chickens and bring them to the village. The ladies and chickens are very happy together and the chickens start following the ladies around as they do their chores. But then the chickens start acting like the ladies, and stop laying eggs. What are the ladies to do?
This is a charming picture book with a folktale feel that matches well with the rustic illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud to children because of the amount of text on each page, this one is a winner.