Beyond Rudolph and Frosty

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And Hanukkah. And Kwanzaa. All of which makes this time of year especially challenging for publishers of children’s books.

Not long ago, formulaic tales about Santa Claus, talking snowmen or the nativity were enough to make cash registers sing. But as the U.S. has grown more diverse, the demand for culturally sensitive holiday books has grown, and the effort to meet that demand has inspired a fresh wave of stories.

Among the best is “An Angel Just Like Me” (Dial Books for Young Readers, 24 pages, $14.99), in which young Tyler wonders why all angels look the same. As he helps decorate the family Christmas tree, he peppers his parents with questions: “Can’t boys be angels?” “Aren’t there any black angels?”

Tyler’s questions send him off on an eye-opening search for an angel that looks just like him. Writer Mary Hoffman, aided by the warm watercolor and pencil illustrations of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, tells the story in a sympathetic (if occasionally heavy-handed) way that underscores the multicultural richness that always has been present in Christmas traditions, even if it largely has been missing from the literature.

With “The Farolitos of Christmas” (40 pages, $15.95), Hyperion has reprinted a story first told by award-winning novelist Rudolfo Anaya in New Mexico magazine 10 years ago. Set during World War II, it is a timeless tale of a young Mexican American girl beset by family problems that seem certain to ruin her holiday season.

But with strength and character seemingly beyond her years, Luz manages to single-handedly save her family’s Christmas. The book, a winner of the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, does a good job of showing how the Mexican Americans of the Southwest have merged the religious holiday traditions of Latin America with such secular icons as Santa Claus and Christmas trees. It also includes a 21-word glossary to help young readers understand the Spanish words sprinkled throughout the book’s pages.

“By the Hanukkah Light” (Boyds Mills Press, 30 pages, $15.95), by Sheldon Oberman with illustrations by Neil Waldman, does a wonderful job of explaining the meaning and importance of the Jewish festival. The story, which centers in part on the memories of a Holocaust survivor, emphasizes that the holiday is more than a commemoration of events that happened centuries ago, but is the celebration of a faith that has withstood centuries of assault.

“Seven Days of Kwanzaa” (Viking, 16 pages, $10.99) isn’t quite as compelling. Although author Ella Grier lists the date, guiding principle and symbol for each of Kwanzaa’s seven days, she never explains the history of the holiday nor the philosophy behind it. (A celebration of unity based on the first-fruit festivals of Africa--Kwanzaa is Swahili for “first fruits of the harvest”--Kwanzaa was created by Maulana Karenga, chairman of the black studies department at Cal State Long Beach, as a way for African Americans to learn about and honor their history and customs.)

Writer Muff Singer and artist Peter Stevenson do a better job of teaching in their (misleadingly named) “Baby’s First Nativity” (Reader’s Digest Young Families, 18 pages, $10.99), a sturdy cardboard book that appears well suited to ages 2-5. An excellent primer on the story of the first Christmas, the book packs a lot of information (including relevant Bible passages) into its sparse prose, and its unique format helps keep the story moving.

Author J. Patrick Lewis and illustrator Drew Bairley also revisit the nativity story in “Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled” (Dial Books for Young Readers, 30 pages, $14.99). Told largely through the eyes of the animals present at the birth of Christ, the book suggests the awe and wonder that many associate with the manger story.

The holiday traditions of other cultures inspired a 16-volume series, “Christmas Around the World” (World Book, 80 pages each, $18.50 each). The books examine countries such as Brazil, the Philippines and Russia, and places such as the American Southwest and Washington, D.C., with the detail you’d expect from the publisher of one of the world’s foremost encyclopedias. They also are marvelously illustrated with rich color photos, and each volume includes a special section on native songs and on how to make traditional foods and crafts. But these books are suitable for advanced readers only.

Finally, for those who can’t imagine a holiday season without Santa Claus, there’s Marilyn Janovitz’s “What Could Be Keeping Santa?” (North-South Books, 28 pages, $15.95). Santa’s reindeer grow worried when jolly ol’ St. Nick fails to show in time to make his appointed rounds. Could it be they’ve misread the calendar?

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* Kevin Baxter reviews books for children and young adults every four weeks. Next week: D. James Romero looks at books on pop culture.