by Maggie C Rudd (Author) Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator)
With lyrical writing by Maggie C. Rudd and bright illustrations by Elisa Chavarri, The Days After Christmas is a joyful picture book that reminds us that magic and cheer can still be found even after the decorations are put away. Also features instructions for a post-holiday craft!
In the days after Christmas
When you wake up in your bed
And holiday memories
Float through your head...
After the bustle of the holiday season, grandparents wave goodbye and it's time to pack up the sparkly ornaments. The house feels too quiet. What do you do when the excitement and festivities are over?
The fireplace may be a perfect place to read new books with a cup of hot cocoa and some snuggles with Mom and Dad. And leftovers might still be pretty tasty. Upon reflection, the memories of the Christmas season can bring smiles, not sadness - and a hopefulness that there's still so much to look forward to.
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Rudd's relatable second-person rhymes reflect on the quiet days after Christmas festivities, resulting in this gentle spin on the usual yuletide fare. A hint of melancholy emerges in early lines that describe the process of reverting to normalcy: farewells are said, decorations get boxed up, and the fridge is cleaned out. "You remember before/ when it was just beginning.// Now it all seems too finished, // too over, too ending." Before sadness sets in, though, cozy moments and time outdoors in the snow invigorate--just the reset needed to help everyone cherish holiday memories while looking ahead. Mapping closely to the text, Chavarri's jewel-colored renderings follow several families, depicted with a range of skin tones, as they move through the post-Christmas period and relish the remaining residue of holiday cheer. A craft concludes. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Maggie C. Rudd is from rural North Carolina where she lives with her family. When she isn't writing, she is teaching middle school, making forts, or outside getting muddy with her kids.
Elisa Chavarri is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoiris and Federico and the Wolf. Originally from Lima, Peru, she did much of her growing up in Northern Michigan where she now resides with her husband and two small children whose little hands she loves to hold.