Books of Common Thread Project
By Cowanna Gilmore

Common Thread:Holidays

Sub-Category 1: Valentine

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Heart to Heart	George Shannon Steve Bjorkman	4-8 Preschool-Second	1995 reed Book Business Info; Inc. Houghton Mifflin Co. Sept. 1995	Oh no! It's Valentine's Day and Squirrel forgot to get a card for his best friend, Mole. Run for paper, glitter, lace, and lights! But as he searches for the scissors, Squirrel discovers much more and makes Mole a gift that only Squirrel could create.
	Don't Be My Valentine	Joan M. Luxau	4-8 Preschool-Second	Harpercollins Juvenille Books; Jan. 1999	It’s a Valentines Day mystery! Sam is tired of Amy Lou bugging him all the time so he sends her an especially mean valentine. But when the valentines are delivered, Amy Lou gets a nice one from Sam and it’s their teacher who receives the mean valentine.
	Where’s Nicky’s Valentine?	Harriet Ziefert	Baby-Preschool	Handprint Books; Board edition Dec. 2002	This is a lift-the-flap book where readers look under each flap to see if the valentine is there and will have readers guessing whether the friendly kitten will get the valentines to his friends on time...and have one waiting for him at home.
	Super-Fine Valentine	Bill Cosby Varnette P. Honeywood	4-8 Preschool-Second	1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Cartwheel Books; (1998)	In Super-Fine Valentine, Little Bill wants to give a girl a Valentine but is concerned that his classmates will make fun of him. He overcomes his self-consciousness and ultimately makes a new friend.
	Happy Valentine’s Day, Miss Hildy!	Lois Grambling Bridget Starr Taylor	4-8 Preschool-Second	Randon House Dec. 1997	Miss Hildy is a detective, sort of - with a cape, a magnifying glass, and a little black book for taking notes. Miss Hildy is a senior-citizen detective who receives 12 pink flamingos for Valentine's Day. She must use her sleuthing skills to discover her admirer, who turns out to be Mr. Herring, the fish store owner.

Sub-Category 2: Easter

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Corduroy’s Easter	Don Freeman Lisa McCue	4 - 8 Preschool-Second	Grosset & Dunlap	Corduroy and his friends are so happy to play outside now that spring is here. In this cheerful book that's chock-full of flaps on each spread, children will enjoy discovering who's hiding at the playground, or peering under flaps to find baby animals at a farm. There are plenty of Easter preparations before the final spread, as readers join the search to see what the Bunny has left behind.
	Easter Mice	Bethany Roberts Doug Cushman	4 - 8 Preschool-Second	Clarion Books; March 2003	Four mice enjoy a beautiful spring day as they hunt for Easter eggs. Distracted by the beautiful spring day, the littlest mouse is the only one who doesn't find any eggs . . . until he stumbles upon a very special egg that turns out to be the best one of all.
	The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Surprise	Stan & Jan Berenstain	5-8 Kindergarten-Second	Cart Wheel Books; March 1998	As the Berenstain Bears prepare to celebrate Easter, Papa, Mama, and Brother reminisce about another Easter when Brother was given a very special surprise.

Bunny Isabel’s Easter Egg Hunt

Max     Haynes

For infants or children in preschool.

Dutton Books; Feb. 1998

Bunny Isabel helps Mother Hen find her lost egg. On her search, Bunny Isabel finds lots of friends behind flaps, but no one has seen Mother Hen's precious egg. Finally, when the last flap is lifted, children discover a special Easter surprise -- Mother Hen's newly hatched chick

Home for a Bunny

Margaret Wise Brown Garth   Williams

4-8     Preschool-Second

Golden Books Reissue Edition Jan. 2000

This is tender book of a little brown bunny rabbit who's in search of a home. On his journey, he meets many different animals, such as a frog, a groundhog, and a robin. He asks them where they live, but once he sees it, he realizes he needs to find something that's best for him. Until...he meets another bunny.

Sub-Category 3: Halloween

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Scary, Scary Halloween	Jan Brett	4 - 8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. Clarion Books; Sept. 1988	As the unnamed narrator looks on, a skeleton, a ghost, a vampire, a werewolf, witches, goblins, gremlins, a devil and a mummy pass by. The monsters are in fact children dressed up in Halloween costumes. When the children go indoors, the narrator and a his gang of his adventurous friends stalk the streets to prowl till dawn.
	What a Scare, Jesse Bear	Nancy White Carlstrom	Baby-Preschool	Aladdin Library Sept. 2002	Pre-School, Jesse Bear and family are preparing for Halloween. After a trip to Panda Pete's Pumpkin Patch, father and son make a jack-o'-lantern. As Mama Bear approaches, they light it, turn out the lights, and moan to frighten her. She exclaims, "What a scare, Jesse Bear!" Then it's time for costumes. When Jesse Bear dons a mask and looks in the mirror, he frightens himself. His parents say, "What a scare, Jesse Bear!"
	Where’s The Halloween Treat?	Harriet Ziefert	Baby-Preschool	Putnam Pub. Group Juv.Edition Aug.2002	It's Halloween and time to go trick-or-treating! And as the group of trick-or-treaters gets bigger, so does the number of treats they need! Children can follow the group from house to house, lifting the flaps to see the funny costumes and count the kids' treats to make sure there's enough for everyone.
	Albert’s Halloween (The Case of The Stolen Pumpkins)	Leslie Tryon	4 - 8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 1998 Reed Business Info., Inc. Atheneum; Sept. 1998	Albert the duck and his animal friends following a series of clues, the gang searches for 18 pumpkins that have been stolen from Patsy Pig's patch. After investigating a dead tree, the library steps, and a playground, the detectives are able to uncover only four of the missing gourds. Then they find a note that instructs them to retrace their steps and look again more carefully. The final double spread reveals the thief, Patsy Pig, who devised this clever game to amuse her friends.
	The Know-Nothings Talk Turkey	Michele Sobel Sprin R.W. Alley	4-8 Preschool-Second	Harpper Trophy; Sept. 2001	The Know-Nothings are all set to celebrate Thanksgiving by serving a turkey dinner. But that unruly fowl doesn't seem to want salad, potatoes, or even squash--so what are they to do? Doris sews together beans to make string beans, Boris mashes potatoes with a sledge hammer, and Morris dresses the salad in--you guessed it--a frilly little pink number. Luckily, the farmer they got him from said they could return the turkey if it's not good. And this turkey is definitely not good. In fact, he's downright rude!

The Pumpkin Patch Parable

Liz Curtis Higgs

4 - 8 Preschool-Second

Thomas Nelson; Aug. 1995

This charming story for children illustrates how  a loving farmer can turn a simple pumpkin into a simply glorious sight.  In the same way God's transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light.

Sub-Category 4: Thanksgiving

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving	Dav Pilkey	4-8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 1990 Reed Business Info., Oct. 1990	The day before Thanksgiving finds eight boys and girls of various races taking a field trip to a turkey farm. Although Farmer Mack Nuggett seems kind at first, the children eventually discover his horrible plan to kill the turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners. Smuggling the turkeys home with them, the children save the birds, who join eight families for vegetarian dinners.
	Albert’s Thanksgiving	Leslie Tryon	4-8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 1994 Reed-Business Info., Inc. Aladdin Library Oct. 1998	Albert, the taciturn, always helpful goose, and the children of Pleasant Valley plant and tend a garden to be harvested for the Thanksgiving Feast. However, Patsy Pig, President of the PTA, repeatedly sends Albert notes soliciting his help to build a table, fold paper turkeys, and other such tasks, including baking pumpkin pizza for the feast, completely interrupting the harvest. Pushed to his limits, Albert leaves Patsy a note stating, "Glad to help. But did anyone think of the vegetables? These must be harvested if there's going to be a feast, but everyone has forgotten about them!
	Happy Thanksgiving Biscuit!	Alyssa Satin Capucilli	4-8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 1999 rdde Business Info.,  Inc. Harpet Festival, Sept.1999	Biscuit's owner, a little girl, teaches Biscuit what the Thanksgiving holiday is all about. Biscuit puts the ideas he learns into action by interacting throughout the story with the little girl, Daisy (the cat), and Grandpa and Grandma who come over for Thanksgiving dinner.
	I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie	Alison Jackson Judith Byron Schachner	4-8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 2002 Reed Business Info., Inc. Dutton Books; Oct. 1997	When an "old lady" comes to Thanksgiving dinner she swallows a pumpkin pinwheel. To wash down the pie (which was really too dry) she gulps some cider which "rumbles and mumbles and grumbles" inside her. Then to the horror of the adults and the delight of the children she gobbles the entire Thanksgiving feast!
	Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’	Eilean Spinelli	4 -8 Preschool-Second	1982 Eileen Spinelli Harper Collins	Mrs. Tappleton gets up early to prepare the turkey. Mr. Tappleton sets off to buy the pies. Kenny makes the salad, and Jenny mashes the potatoes. Then all the relatives arrive for an enormous Thanksgiving dinner. But this year nothing seems to go right. First the turkey slides down the icy hill and into the pond -- plop! splash! Then the bakery sells out of pies. It looks like it's going to be a pretty bleak holiday...until Grandmother reminds everyone that there's more to Thanksgiving than a turkey and trimmings. The guests realize that Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate one another, not the traditional feast.

Sub-Category 5: Christmas

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	The Bears’ Christmas	Stan & Jan Berenstain	4-8 Preschool-Second	Random House (Juv) Sept., 2002	Daddy Bear tries to show his son how to use the sled, skates, and skis Santa brought for Christmas.
	Christmas Cats	Jean Mazzollo Hans Wilhelm	4-8 Preschool-Second	Cartwheel Books Nov. 1997	Creative cats prepare for Christmas by making chains, hanging mistletoe, and singing carols.
	Santa Mouse	Michael Braon	4-8 Preschool-Second	1996 Michael Brown Grosset & Dunlap; Oct. 1985	There was a little mouse who lived in a big house all by himself.  He didn't have any friends and he didn't have a name.  Everyday he would pretend he had friends over to play with him, but whenever he went to touch them, they went away.  The night before Christmas he got a piece of cheese he had saved all year and left it for Santa.  When he woke up he was looking in the eyes of Santa.  Santa asked the mouse what was his name.  The mouse didn't have a name and Santa didn't have a helper so, Santa said " I'll call you Santa Mouse".
	Mooseltoe	Margie Palatini Henry Cole	4-8 Preschool-Second	Hyperion Press Sept. 2000	Moose thinks he has all his Christmas preparations taken care of, baking cookies, check; sending holiday cards, check; buying gifts, check, check, check. It doesn't become apparent until Christmas Eve that one important job has been left undone: there's no Christmas tree! So Moose makes the ultimate sacrifice for his family--he lets them hang tinsel and ornaments from his long mustache, wrap lights around his antlers, and stick a star on the top of his head.
	If You Take A Mouse to the Movies	Laura Joffe Numeroff Felicia Bond	4 - 8 Preschool-Second	Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Info., Inc. Laura Gerings Oct. 2003	Everything has an impact on everything else in this world, so if you take a mouse to the movies, don't be surprised if you find yourself being run ragged by the exuberant little fellow's increasingly grand appetites. Going from movie theater to Christmas tree lot to the neighbor's yard for snow mouse-building, he's a very demanding mouse.