Our guest reviewer today is Children’s Librarian Extraordinaire, Amelia Ecevedo! She is our local children’s librarian and I get so many wonderful title suggestions from her. She has chosen two books to share, and I’ll link to Bookshop.org for purchasing. Amelia and I also encourage you to check these books out from your local library, but know that they might not come before Christmas since the hold lists are quite long.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, by John Rox

“I'm a huge fan of books to sing. This one is especially great because I always used to forget the words to this sweet Christmas classic. (I'm not alone in this--every year at the Vashon Theater Holiday Singalong, this is the song with the most earnest mumbling!) This girl definitely knows the one thing she wants Santa to bring, and she's devised a solid plan to make it work. The pictures are especially charming in this one: it's obvious when the girl and hippo first meet, the instant love is mutual. Dream big! And be sure to plan ahead.”

Llama Llama Holiday Drama, by Anna Dewdney

“Some authors just get kids, and Anna Dewdney was definitely one of those authors. The holiday season is so exciting and special, but it can also be overwhelming to little ones. Is your family up to your elbows in baking, decorating, shopping, waiting, and memory-making each December? (Mine is!) Take a deep breath, snuggle up, and read this one together. After Llama Llama has a little "holi-drama" meltdown, he and Mama Llama take a moment to remember what really matters during the holidays, especially this year: each other.”

Thanks Amelia, for sharing these two books with us!

**I also want to mention that I am not being paid or compensated in any way for these reviews. I’m not an affiliate with Bookshop.org, I just firmly believe that we need to support local business right now more than ever!