I've long loved the song "Christmas in the Trenches" on the CD Winter Solstice by John McCutcheon so was not surprised when I also liked Shooting at the Stars: the Christmas Truce of 1914, by John Hendrix. The author/illustrator used letters and notes from interviews with soldiers as his inspiration for the story of the ordinary men, in the trenches, cold, hungry and far from home who had little (if anything) to do with the 'higher ups' that directed the fighting. Sad and moving.

Silent Night: the Story of the World War I Christmas Truce, by Stanley Weintraub, is an adult read. Fewer pictures, more serious text, but a gripping story nevertheless. Grim descriptions of the battlefield, and the living conditions there. How the truce spread from simple lights, to singing, a football game to exchanging photos and family stories. When ordered back to the fighting, many men shot up into the air. Those higher in rank wanted to bring disciplinary actions against those who took part. A rather grim read sometimes, but worth it.

Sleigh Bells and Snowflakes: a Celebration of Christmas, compiled and illustrated by Linda Bronson is a wonderful collection of carols and Bronson's 3-D art. I love her use of texture and unusual objects to create a picture for each song.

The Little Drummer Boy, with illustrations by Ezra Jack Keats, (words and music by Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone) came with Seattle Reader's email of favorite picture books, but I decided to put it here, with Christmas books. It's one of my favorite seasonal songs and the illustrations here are Keats usual blend of the traditional and the unexpected. Nicely done.

Reading Hermit With Dog