The holiday season is moving quickly and the time for gift giving is just around the corner! Books make great presents for young readers, and this year we’ll be sharing several round-ups highlighting ideas for every kind of reader on your gift list. To avoid the ever-dreaded holiday rush, stock up on books that the children in your life will enjoy exploring again and again.

2017 Holiday Gift Guide

To: The Animal Aficionado
 
Is the little one in your life asking for a pet this holiday? Give your animal enthusiast the next best thing—a book featuring animals! These books will surely make it easier to check one more person off of your holiday gift list this year.
 

Captured in beautifully soft illustrations and well-crafted words, Jo Weaver’s Little One, invites you on a journey with a mother bear and her new cub, discovering the seasons side by side. Together they eat, swim, fish, and play, until winter arrives and it is time to head home to hibernate.

Perfect as a bedtime read aloud, the gentle text and stunning black and white illustrations reveal the wonder of nature, the first steps of independence, and the strength of parental love. Give this special book to the little one in your life this holiday and enjoy it together through every season.

Read an excerpt here.

 
Written and illustrated by dynamic duo Cathryn and John Sill, About Birds is a nonfiction beginner’s guide for any young readers who love nature and birds. The simple text, paired with the beautifully detailed illustrations, introduces young readers to the diverse and natural world of birds and their basic characteristics. 
 
Also available with bilingual text, give this book to the budding naturalist in your life, and you’ll find them inspired to look skyward. 
 
Read an excerpt here.

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog

Madeline Finn does not like reading. But to get a gold star from her teacher, Madeline Finn has to understand the words she reads and be able to read them out loud. That’s where Bonnie comes in! Bonnie is a library dog that helps Madeline Finn take her time shows her that reading can be fun. When she fumbles on words, Bonnie listens patiently.
 
Snuggle up this holiday season with your child and the family pet (or favorite stuffed animal), and relish in the magic of this sweet friendship.
 
Read an excerpt here. 
 

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

Cat-lovers rejoice: Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright’s collaborative work brings to life a story of an unlikely friendship between an alley cat and an inn-keeping mouse. Skilley and Pip strike a deal that will have Skilley, the cat, off the streets and provide Pip, the mouse, with protection from bigger prey. What will happen to their friendship when a big challenge has been thrown their way?

This playful homage to Charles Dickens, with masterful illustrations by Barry Moser, will delight any animal-obsessed child with a fondness in historical settings. Give the gift of adventure in a book that will transport your children to a new time and place, while they explore the meaning of friendship and loyalty—all with animals!

Read an excerpt here.

Find these titles and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. Still looking for more great ideas? Our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide has even more gift recommendations for your little readers this holiday season!