Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned From a Little Golden Book
Text copyright © 2014 by Diane E. Muldrow
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Golden Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto, Penguin Random House Companies. Golden Books, A Golden Book, A Little Golden Book, the G colophon, and the distinctive gold spine are registered trademarks of Random House LLC. The Poky Little Puppy is a registered trademark of Random House LLC. The artwork contained in this work was previously published in separate works by Golden Books, New York. Copyright © 1946–1975 by Random House LLC. Illustrations from the following Golden Books also appear herein: Frosty the Snowman copyright © 1950, copyright renewed 1979 by Unichappel Music, Inc.; The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Christmas Carol copyright © 1992 by Sheilah Beckett; The Little Christmas Elf copyright © 2011 by Susan Mitchell; and The Golden Christmas Tree copyright © 1988 by Leonard Weisgard.
Holly border art on cover by Richard Scarry. Cover photo © SuperStock, Inc.
randomhousekids.com
dianemuldrow.com
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013957800
ISBN 978-0-553-49735-9 (trade)
ISBN 978-0-375-97374-1 (lib. bdg.)
ISBN 978-0-553-49736-6 (ebook)
Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.
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is coming!
From Jingle Bells by Kathleen N. Daly, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1964.
Why, it’s just around the corner.
From The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1949.
Yikes!
From Lucky Mrs. Ticklefeather by Dorothy Kunhardt, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1951.
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and all, but…
From The Golden Book of Little Verses, illustrated by Mary Blair, 1953.
there’s just so much to do.
From The Happy Family by Nicole, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1955 edition.
All that baking,
From The Gingerbread Man by Nancy Nolte, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1953.
the endless cycle of cooking and cleaning,
From Animal Friends by Jane Werner, illustrated by Garth Williams, 1953.
and the rounds of social obligations…
From My Little Golden Book About God by Jane Werner Watson, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1956.
when you could be taking a nap.
Can we just call the Christmas season what it really is?
From I Am a Bunny, A Golden Sturdy Book, by Ole Risom, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1963.
Cold and flu season!
From Chipmunk’s ABC by Roberta Miller, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1963.
Then there’s the snarled holiday traffic…
From The Taxi That Hurried by Lucy Sprague Mitchell, Irma Simonton Black, and Jessie Stanton, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, 1946.
and the scary holiday crowds!
From My Little Golden Christmas Book, illustrated by Sheilah Beckett, 1957.
Marauding relatives!
From Baby Looks by Esther Wilkin, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1960.
The kids are nuts this time of year.
From Naughty Bunny by Richard Scarry, 1959.
And let’s not even think about the hassles of holiday travel.
Both pages: From The Taxi That Hurried by Lucy Sprague Mitchell, Irma Simonton Black, and Jessie Stanton, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, 1946.
The excess!
From Rupert the Rhinoceros by Carl Memling, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, 1960.
The expense!
From 5 Pennies to Spend by Miriam Young, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1955.
Then comes the weight gain.
From Noises and Mr. Flibberty-Jib by Gertrude Crampton, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1947.
It’s enough to make you want to hibernate till New Year’s!
From The Golden Sleepy Book by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Garth Williams, 1948.
But then again, think about what you’d miss—
From The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1958.
especially if you’ve been good this year.
From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, adapted by Barbara Shook Hazen, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1958.
You’d miss all this!
From Baby’s Christmas by Esther Wilkin, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1959.
Christmas comes but once a year, so up and at ’em!
From “The Naughty Little Reindeer” in The Animals’ Merry Christmas, A Giant Golden Book, by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1950.
Time to strategize!
Set up your secret wrapping station.
From The Little Golden Holiday Book by Marion Conger, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1951.
Make your Christmas list.
From The Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas, A Big Golden Book, by Adelaide Holl, illustrated by Florence Sarah Winship, 1973.
Elves are standing by!
From The Little Christmas Elf by Nikki Shannon Smith, illustrated by Susan Mitchell, 2011.
Start planning the menu.
From “The Goose That Stuffed Herself” in The Animals’ Merry Christmas, A Giant Golden Book, by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1950.
Find the best ingredients you can,
From “The County Fair” in Farm Stories, A Giant Golden Book, by Kathryn and Byron Jackson, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, 1946.
and make Christmas dinner one to remember.
But don’t spend all your time preparing.…
From Christmas in the Country by Barbara Collyer and John R. Foley, illustrated by Retta Worcester, 1950.
When was the last time you went caroling?
From The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1958.
Or over the river and through the woods?
From Jingle Bells by Kathleen N. Daly, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1964.
Enjoy the season,
From I Am a Bunny, A Golden Sturdy Book, by Ole Risom, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1963.
and make time for family and friends.
From My Little Golden Christmas Book, illustrated by Sheilah Beckett, 1957.
Why not put the kids’ energy to good use? There are decorations to make…
From Trim the Christmas Tree, A Little Golden Activity Book, by Elsa Ruth Nast, illustrated by Doris and Marion Henderson, 1957.
and boughs to bring home!
From The Little Golden Holiday Book by Marion Conger, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1951.
The best part of Christmas is anticipating it together!
From The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1949.
Just don’t overdo it.
From Christmas in the Country by Barbara Collyer and John R. Foley, illustrated by Retta Worcester, 1950.
And don’t forget to break for hot cocoa!
From The Sweet Smell of Christmas, A Golden Scratch & Sniff Book, by Patricia Scarry, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1970.
Oh, the laughter and shouting!
From Frosty the Snow Man retold by Annie
North Bedford, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1951.
The out-and-abouting!
From “Mr. Hedgehog’s Christmas Present” in The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1958.
The writing, the mailing!
From The Christmas ABC by Florence Johnson, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1962, renewed 1990.
The jolly wassailing!
From The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Christmas Carol, illustrated by Sheilah Beckett, 1992.
Christmas is about going all out…
From Jingle Bells by Kathleen N. Daly, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1964.
and Christmas is about keeping it simple.
From “The Singing Christmas Tree” in The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1958.
It’s a time for children,
From Baby’s Christmas by Esther Wilkin, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1959.
a time of wonder,
From Christmas Carols, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1946.
a time like no other time of year,
From The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1955.
announced with the call of the trumpet…
From Christmas Carols, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1952 edition.
and the pealing of bells.
From Christmas Carols, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1946.
A time for traditions,
From Christmas in the Country by Barbara Collyer and John R. Foley, illustrated by Retta Worcester, 1950.
and cinnamon and peppermint and cloves and orange and chocolate and ginger…
From The Sweet Smell of Christmas, A Golden Scratch & Sniff Book, by Patricia Scarry, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1970.
and merriment.
From My Little Golden Christmas Book, cover illustration by Richard Scarry, 1957.
A time for giving the very best of yourself…
From “Mr. Hedgehog’s Christmas Present” in The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1958.
a time to reach out to someone who’d otherwise be alone…
From “The Goose That Stuffed Herself” in The Animals’ Merry Christmas, A Giant Golden Book, by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1950.
and a time for blessings on all of us, every one.
From The Kitten’s Surprise by Nina, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky, 1951.
So deck the halls!
From Christmas Carols, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1946.
Deck yourselves!
From The Twelve Dancing Princesses retold by Jane Werner, illustrated by Sheilah Beckett, 1954.
But take some time to be still…
From My Little Golden Book About God by Jane Werner Watson, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1956.
on a night quieted by snow, and remember another night…
From The Golden Christmas Book, by Gertrude Crampton, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1947, and The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1955.
when joy came.
From The New Golden Song Book, illustrated by Mary Blair, 1955 edition.
One night in a manger, under a star,
From The Christmas Story by Jane Werner, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1952.
a night witnessed by both shepherds and kings, when gifts were given to a waiting world.…
From The Christmas Story by Jane Werner, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1952.
The gift of love
From The New Baby by Ruth and Harold Shane, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1948.
for all people,
From The Golden Books Treasury of Prayers from Around the World, selected by Esther Wilkin, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, 1975.
and the gift of hope for a peaceable kingdom.
It could happen.
From The Golden Christmas Tree by Jan Wahl, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, 1988.
Believe.
From The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Corinne Malvern, 1949.
Diane Muldrow, Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned From a Little Golden Book
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