Christmas time is the time of year for giving and thinking of others, especially those less fortunate.  I've collected some new beautiful picture books for the whole family to enjoy throughout December.

Great Joy , by award winner Kate DiCamillo , celebrates the essence of this special season.  A young girl looks out of her window from high above to a busy downtown street corner.  It will soon be Christmas and the air is cold and snow is beginning to fall.  Her mother is sewing the last part of her angel costume for the church play.  She asks her mother where the organ grinder and his monkey go when it gets dark.  Her mother replies that she doesn't know but that "...everyone goes somewhere".   But the little girl stays up late to see where the old man goes and soon realizes he doesn't go anywhere but stays on that same corner in the freezing cold.  What she does to help this man is simple, yet powerful, and sends a message to all who read about the power and joy of generosity.  The breathtaking illustrations, by Bagram Ibatoulline, are set back in the middle of last century.

Antonella and her Santa Claus , by Barbara Augustin, and illustrated by Gerhard Lahr, has an old European feeling.  That could be because this book was first published in Germany back in 1969.  This new American publication brings a message that we all can become like a Santa to those in need.  Young Italian, Antonella, still believes in Santa even when the kids at school make fun of her.  But when a group of kids in Hungary discover her desires, they pull together their resources to help out.  This is a wonderful story with a message that will linger with you for a long time.

The famous Christmas carol, We Three Kings , has been illustrated into a beautiful picture book.  Award winning Gennady Spirin has painted glorious illustrations of the travel of the 3 kings as they came to bear gifts for the Christ Child.

Christmas Oranges , by Linda Bethers, retells the beautiful story of orphans living under the regimen of a harsh headmaster.  When young Rose is unfairly disciplined and loses out on the only gift the girls receive, an orange, she is heartbroken.  But the rest of the girls feel so badly for her that they share some of their tiny oranges.  The gorgeous paintings, by renowned Ben Sowards, peek into Rose's world and pull you into the story and her life.  A DVD of the story is also enclosed.

The Christmas Candle , by Richard Paul Evans, and wonderfully illustrated by Jacob Collins, exemplifies the selfless person in perfection.  A young man enters a candle store to buy a candle for his lantern and as he walks, he shoves a beggar out of the way.  Once the candle is purchased, he goes on his way.  But people of need keep coming into view as he thinks they are family members and mistakenly gives his valuables to them.  But what he learns from these actions become more valuable than he every thought possible.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey , by Susan Wojciechowski, is another perfect book showing how a little kindness shown to others can make a tremendous and positive impact on others.  Jonathan Toomey is a lonely, sad woodcutter whom everyone thinks of as "Mr. Gloomy".  But his life is about to change when a widow and her son ask him to woodcut a manger scene.  Each day the widow brings him tasty gifts from her oven and is never put off by his gruffness.  Her kindness eventually pays off.  A CD also comes with the book. 

Angela and the Baby Jesus , by Frank McCourt, and marvelously illustrated by Raul Colon, is an Irish story about 6-year-old Angela and her concern for the manger baby Jesus in her church.  He looks so cold!  So, she takes him home to warm him, but runs into some problems when her older brother catches her.

The rest of the picture books are best suited for younger children - Sharing Christmas , by Kate Westerlund, and illustrated by Eve Tharlet, has several forest animals collecting and sharing their most cherished items with each other, making it the best Christmas ever!  Mortimer's Christmas Manger , by Jane Chapman, and illustrated by Karma Wilson, has Mortimer the mouse finding a nice cozy bed in the small manger scene that has bet set up in the big house.  But what does he do when he discovers whom the manger is really for?   The Stable Where Jesus Was Born , by Rhonda Gowler Greene, and beautifully illustrated by Susan Gaber, is a simple version of the story of Christmas for youngsters. Bear's First Christmas , by Robert Kinerk, once again teaches the true meaning of Christmas-giving.  A young bear wakes up from his winter sleep and soon finds animals, large and small, who have many kinds of needs.  He sets out to help each of these newfound friends and in the end they all discover what Christmas is all about.  The stunning illustrations, by Jim LaMarche, fill the pages.  Santa's Favorite Story:  Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas , by Hisako Aoki, and illustrated by Ivan Gantschev, is a different take on Santa.  As he tells his animal friends, " Christmas hasn't got anything to do with me."   Santa proceeds to tell the story of that first Christmas long, long ago.  Cock-A-Doodle Christmas ! , by Will Hillenbrand, is about a young rooster who isn't loud enough to wake everyone up each morning, until he finally finds his voice on that first Christmas morning.