☰

Birmingham Events Calendar: January 8th – January 15th

Posted on by Angie

Happy New Year! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and had the chance to spend lots of time with your family and friends!

We are slowly crawling back into a normal routine and activities around the city are starting to pick back up!

Take a look to see what you can do to keep the little ones busy this week!

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday January 8th:

Winter Wonderland – McWane Science Center
It’s the last day to take advantage of the Winter Wonderland. Snow room, zip line, and giant slide!

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
In January, Bart will be creating colorful dragon puppets in honor of the Chinese New Year.

Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
1pm

——-——————————————————————————

Monday January 9th:

Family Night – Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest
Animal Adventures! Bring the entire family for a night of pizza and story time fun! Make sure to visit us in the Children’s Department or call us to register. Registration IS required! 205-978-0158
6pm

—————————————————————————————

Tuesday January 10th:

Kids Scene – Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest
Grades 5K – 3rd
Join Ms. Savannah and make sun catchers from old crayons and wax paper!
Make sure to register by calling us at 205-978-0158.
For every friend your child brings, your child and their friend will receive 5 tickets to use during our Summer 2012 Reading Program.
3:30 -4:30 PM

—————————————————————————————

Wednesday January 11th:

Where the Wild Things Are Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
At today’s Storytime, we’re going Where the Wild Things Are. Join us in the Children’s Department as we read this favorite by Maurice Sendak. We’ll have a wild rumpus, make crafts and sample treats from our Cafe.
11am

Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

—————————————————————————————

Thursday January 12th:

Holy Inappropriateness! We couldn’t find any special events happening in the Ham’ today. Make sure to check our list below for fun exhibits happening daily at our local attractions.

—————————————————————————————

Friday January 13th:

Holy Inappropriateness! We couldn’t find any special events happening in the Ham’ today. Make sure to check our list below for fun exhibits happening daily at our local attractions.

—-———————————————————————————

Saturday January 14th:

Sid The Science Kid – McWane Science Center
Sid the Science Kid, from PBS Kids educational  television series, is making a stop at McWane Science Center. Join us for a special day celebrating children’s natural curiosity about science in everyday life. The energetic and inquisitive Sid will be available for meet and greets and guests will embark on a fun-filled day of finding answers with the help of family and friends.
10am – 4pm
COST: Included in cost of admission, FREE for McWane Science Center members

BrickFair Alabama – A LEGO Fan Festival
LEGO models, LEGO fun and games brought together by adult fans and artists from across the country.

We are excited to present this new winter festival – a great time for the whole family! Vendors will be offering all things LEGO: shirts, hats, build-mats, custom minifigures, custom-molded weapons and more. Original LEGO creations on display covering 37,000 square feet!

BrickFair is primarily a look-don’t-touch event. Please enjoy the displays with your eyes, not your fingers. The few interactive displays are clearly marked. To satisfy your creative urges, visit the Stay & Play area.
11:00 am – 4:00 pm

A bare minimum of 90 minutes is needed to see most of the show. Doors close at 4:00 pm; expo is vacated at 4:30 pm. No entrance after 4:00 pm.

Age 4 & up: $7
3 & under: Free
Strollers are not permitted.

Barts Art Cart –  Birmingham Museum of Art
In January, Bart will be creating colorful dragon puppets in honor of the Chinese New Year.

Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
11am

Lowes Build and Grow Clinic
Your child is sure to love this kit! This castle comes with stickers, paperboard cutouts and a working drawbridge!
10am

Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Please join us as we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Junior by reading Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. Of course, we’ll have crafts and snacks too.
11am

—————————————————————————————

Sunday January 15th:

BrickFair Alabama – A LEGO Fan Festival
LEGO models, LEGO fun and games brought together by adult fans and artists from across the country.

We are excited to present this new winter festival – a great time for the whole family! Vendors will be offering all things LEGO: shirts, hats, build-mats, custom minifigures, custom-molded weapons and more. Original LEGO creations on display covering 37,000 square feet!

BrickFair is primarily a look-don’t-touch event. Please enjoy the displays with your eyes, not your fingers. The few interactive displays are clearly marked. To satisfy your creative urges, visit the Stay & Play area.
11:00 am – 4:00 pm

A bare minimum of 90 minutes is needed to see most of the show. Doors close at 4:00 pm; expo is vacated at 4:30 pm. No entrance after 4:00 pm.

Age 4 & up: $7
3 & under: Free
Strollers are not permitted.

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
In January, Bart will be creating colorful dragon puppets in honor of the Chinese New Year.

Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
2pm

—————————————————————————————

Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: Born to Be Wild, Flying Monsters and Santa vs The Snowman

Birmingham Zoo:

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Vulcan Park and Museum:

Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!

Railroad Park:

Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.

Southern Museum of Flight:

Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call,  especially when weather can impact the event.

New Year: Chore Chart

Posted on by Angie

We’ve tried numerous ways for a couple of years now to get our kids in a chore routine. Nothing ever seems to stick, mainly because I have to be the chore police and I forget.  As my kids are getting older (and more resistant to cleaning up), I decided it was imperative to get a chore routine in place. Off to our friends Learning Express I went, and found a great chore chart from Melissa & Doug.

The beauty of this chart is that it’s easy: it comes with placards that have not only chores, but also goals. The “chores” range from ‘clean up your room’ to ‘no whining.’ The chores also have pictures for non-readers.

We started a few days before Christmas and it was a huge hit. I told the kids that each “Great Job!” magnet was worth a quarter. They have to read their chores and complete them, then ask me to check them. The responsibility is all on them. If they forget, that’s money lost forever. Once they realized that they had missed out on money, the forgetting stopped!

See the McWane Winter Wonderland While it Lasts!

Posted on by Angie

Time is running out! If you haven’t made it down to the McWane Science Center to see the Winter Wonderland you’re about to miss out!

Winter Wonderland offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy together. Inside the snow room, children can make snow angels, build snow castles and more. Children can catch fish through the ice in the ice fishing area.

Guests can even sled down the giant slide between the third and second floors in the museum or try the zip line.

Families also have a chance to see toy trains of every shape and size zipping around the tracks in the Magic of Model Trains area. This year children will be able to become conductors at one of the new stations and also see several new additions to the train sets.

The exhibit closes January 8, 2012, Hurry!  Price included in the cost of admission, free to members.

Patient Parent 2012, here we go…

Posted on by Angie

Patience is a hot commodity in our houses these days. After talking with other moms, we quickly realized that we’re all struggling with patience. So we decided to challenge ourselves to be better moms.  This was conceived as an idea for a New Year’s Resolution, but we realize it is a life goal.  Here’s my (Trish) story…

I’m not patient. I’m actually very impatient. I’m constantly wishing that everyone around me would pick up the pace. Drive faster. Get out of the way. Talk faster. Think faster. Quite simply, I can’t stand the inefficiency of moving slowly. I’ve always been this way and it’s no surprise that having kids made me realize that patience is NOT my virtue.

What I’ve been doing up until now: On the bright side, I’m very honest with my kids. I tell them I have a hard time being patient. I apologize when I lose my patience. On the not-so-bright side, I haven’t been able to mask my frustration. When they spill chocolate milk (for the 2nd time in one meal), when I’m late and they move like a snail to get their shoes on… these are the times when I let my frustration show. Even if it’s just a sigh or an “Ugh,” I let it out.

What I realized: Me losing my patience isn’t helping. They notice the sigh that I thought they couldn’t hear. It effects them. Venting my feelings doesn’t make me feel better nor does it make them change their behavior.  It only makes us all miserable.

My solution: The first step is recognizing there’s a problem, right? I’m there! I have no formal plan, other than to bombard myself with reminders to be patient, to remind me that they are only children, and to slow down. My theory is that if I keep patience at the front of my mind, it can’t get lost in the everyday rush of things. If I see 4 Facebook status updates a week that reference patience, how can I NOT remember?

The challenge: Do this with us. Think about what you do now, how you wish you did it, and how to fix it. Follow us on Facebook, read the status updates, comment, interact, share your story. We’ll post tips and articles that will help us all do this!

A Few of Our Favorite Things

Posted on by Angie

It’s the end of another year, lots of things have come and gone, new products, recipes, websites, gadgets and kids toys. But what are some things that came across your path that you loved? Something that you loved so much you wanted to share it with everyone you know. We here at BirminghamMommy.com have made a few discoveries of our own this year and we thought it would be fun to talk with our Contributors, Writers and Mombassadors to see what they are loving right now and share it all with you. Here is a list of what our team has declared their “Favorite Things”

I would like to note that I instructed all of them to leave Pinterest off of their list, I think it goes without saying that if you have logged onto that website it’s an automatic on the Favorites list. If you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, you are definitely missing out! So, go there… now.

LK Whitney – BirminghamMommy Contributor and Mombassador and local blogger:

1 – (Place/Eat) PARAMOUNT, the new yogurt shop in downtown Birmingham, located along 20th Street (known as “Birmingham Green”). It’s just a block away from McWane Center and the perfect spot for both young and old sweet tooths to enjoy a special treat. The modern décor compliments the integrity of a restored (and historical) building in the heart of downtown. And, they serve savory things, too! Totally booking this place for Sweet Pea’s summer birthday party!  http://www.facebook.com/#!/ParamountBham

2 – (Fitness/Baby) MOMMY & BABY YOGA with Krista Jones – Bonding with baby, while nurturing and strengthening your own body! Classes offered throughout the area at times sure to fit your schedule. More info here: http://babybellyyoga.com/Mom___Baby_Yoga.html

3 – (Website/Local) SHOPBIRMINGHAM.COM – A comprehensive, one-stop shop for retail in Birmingham. It’s a great resource for those who love to shop local, and it’s a great way to pick up some new local favorites! www.shopbirmingham.com

Rachel Callahan – BirminghamMommy Mombassador and Local Blogger:

– The Shops of Grand River – I love that we finally have a decent Outlet Mall in Birmingham!! I have done a majority of my shopping here this year, and have gotten some astounding deals for both me and the kids.  My favorite stores are Carter’s, Guess, Learning Express, Gymboree, and Banana Republic. It’s not nearly as far out of town as most people think.  I’ve timed it, and it’s 12 minutes from my house.  Love it!

– Tea Collection kid’s clothes – SO cute – modern without being overly mature.  Their clothes are a little expensive, but they have good sales.

– Amazon Mom – I seriously don’t know how I lived without this with my first kid.  They have the best deals on diapers, give you free two day shipping, and keep you from having to go to the store – ever!!

– Vault Denim – I am not an in-home party type of person, mainly because they’re usually selling things at higher prices than you can buy in the store, and I just feel guilty like I need to buy something for the hostess.  But Vault Denim is an in-home party company that got me excited enough to become a rep.  They sell first-rate designer jeans in all of the major labels — at half price!  Plus it’s one of the most fun girl’s nights possible – trying on jeans with all your girlfriends and helping everyone check out their butt to make sure they don’t have Mom Jeans on?? Priceless.

Shirley Lewis – BirminghamMommy Mombassador:

1. For the mom with no time beauty item it is Tres’emme dry shampoo. It beats out the pricey ones.. and it’s the cheapest i’ve found.

2. For a cheap family entertainment item, Bananagrams game. It’s fast, easy to get, and packs easily when vacationing.

Emi Burton – BirminghamMommy Mombassador:

Hair One is one of my new favorite things of 2011. It is an inexpensive alternative to the Wen Hair System (you know you’ve seen the infomercial and thought about buying it). I searched for a more affordable option and found it. My hair has never felt or looked more healthy.
Psst…. It’s available at Sally Beauty Supply.

Another favorite thing of mine is Crock Pot Liners….no explanation needed.

Trish Bogdanchik- Co Founder BirminghamMommy.com:

Morrocan Oil– best hair product ever! Makes your hair shiny and smooth but not oily.
System Biolage– Since 7th grade this has been my shampoo/conditioner of choice. It’s the smell, I love it!
Caffeine-free Coke– The glory of a coke without the caffeine? Yes, please!
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates at Starbucks– I get excited on cold, dreary days simply because I know I get a SCHC.
Daily contact lens– Single use contacts have made my life so much better.
iPhone– This is everyone’s favorite, right?
Cherry Chapstick– I’m addicted to it.

Angie Cleland – Co Founder BirminghamMommy.com

I’m not a fan of coffee but I do love a flavored coffee drink. My newest discovery is “The Summit” from Seattle Drip coffee in Homewood. It’s white chocolate and caramel with a shot of espresso and topped with whipped cream. It’s probably a 500 calorie drink but it’s worth every calorie.

Boot Cuffs. A discovery from Pinterest. They’re just a cute way to dress up your boots, and best of all they are completely Do It Yourself…  A quick trip through the thrift store and you’ll find more than enough sweaters to make a couple of pair. I don’t sew so I’m limited to just chopping off the arms but if you sew there is a whole new level of boot cuff available for you!

My Iphone. Can’t go anywhere without it.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Clif Bars – For me and my girls. I have picky eaters so it’s nice to have something that I can toss into my bag for them (or me) to have as a healthy snack or alternative for them wherever we go. Most days they will eat these for breakfast.

Chapstick of any kind although after seeing what Dr Oz had to say about it, I do now try to find something based with coconut oil or lanolin. Burts Bees is my go to, and I especially love their new tinted options.

Reality Television – All varieties, no matter how bad I love it. It’s completely mindless and at the end of the day when I can settle in for a little “me” time – I love catching up on DVR whether it’s the Real Housewives of Everywhere or Top Chef. I’m a gluten for reality tv.

What are some of your favorite must have items? We would love to know!

What to Do While Out of School

Posted on by Angie

Many parents are off work for the next few days or maybe the week, the kids are our of school for a while still so how are you spending your time?

Here are some things going on around town that will get you out of the house and keep the cabin fever from setting in.

  • Zoolight Safari – Birmingham Zoo

The only place in Birmingham where it snows every night!

December 26-31 from 5 to 9 pm

Admission $8 – Ride Tickets $3.50 – Unlimited Attraction Wristband $10

Members get in FREE – Join Today

  • Enjoy synchronized lights as they blink to your favorite holiday tunes
  • Experience the holiday train ride, the carousel, story time, animal demos and more
  • Take a hayride
  • Watch the Santa Rollers
  • Children’s Zoo barn will be open every night
  • And so much more!

All prices include tax.

The Zoo will close at 4pm every night of ZooLight Safari and reopen at 5pm. Animal exhibits will be closed during ZooLight Safari.

Lots of fun happening right now at the McWane Science Center.

The Magic of Model Trains exhibit offers families a chance to see toy trains of every shape and size zipping around the tracks. This year children will enjoy the chance to become a conductor at one of the new stations and also see several new additions to the train sets. Running until January 8th 2012

Snow is in the forecast at McWane Science Center this year with the return of the Winter Wonderland exhbit. This magical holiday experience gives families a chance to learn about the science of the season together as they play in the snow, go ice fishing, and watch toy trains zip around the tracks.

Winter Wonderland offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy together. Inside the snow room, children can make snow angels, build snow castles and more. Children can catch fish through the ice in the ice fishing area.

Guests can even sled down the giant slide between the third and second floors in the museum or try the zip line.

Open until January 8th 2012

If you’re in the mood for a movie, check out SANTA VS. THE SNOWMAN, it brings the laugh-out-loud story of a Santa and the Snowman showdown to the IMAX large-format screen in high-tech computer-generated animation.  The holidays have never before looked like this…on Birmingham’s biggest movie screen reaching 5 stories tall.

You can still see some holiday lights if you want to head out to the Homestead Hollow Christmas Light Spectacular. Thursday through Sunday from dusk to 10:00 pm through New Year’s Day! Come and enjoy a scenic drive through Homestead Hollow as it is radiantly lit by tens of thousands of dazzling Christmas lights. Stop at our Christmas Village and experience real outdoor ice skating and rejoice in the splendor of the Homestead Hollow holiday spirit as you enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

At the Birmingham Public Library Central Branch you can take the kids in for a Winter Holiday Scavenger Hunt. Kids of all ages can participate in a Winter Holiday Scavenger Hunt in the Youth Department. Children will learn interesting facts about a variety of Winter Holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Everyone who completes the Scavenger Hunt can enter their name in a drawing for a Winter Prize. The Drawing will be held on January 4th 2012.

Mondays & Tuesdays 9-8
Wednesdays-Saturdays 9-6
Sundays 2-6

Have fun with the kiddos and enjoy your time off!!

Celebrating Kwanzaa

Posted on by Angie

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will celebrate the spirit of family and community with its annual Kwanzaa program on Wednesday December 27th.

The event kicks off with a hands-on workshop in the Abraham L. Woods Community Meeting Room. Elinor and Winfield Burks will lead this creative activity for families. The community celebration will be in the Odessa Woolfolk Gallery, highlighting the principle “kujichagulia” (meaning self-determination). Maurice Muhammad will be the speaker.

Kwanzaa – which means “first fruits of the harvest” in Kiswahili – is an African American cultural holiday with a focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. It was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is celebrated December 26-January 1.

Birmngham Civil Rights Institute
Wednesday, December 27th

Hands on Workshop begins at 5pm
Community Celebration begins at 6pm

Busy Mommy Bonding: Christmas Fun! Don't Forget to Feed the Reindeer

Posted on by Angie

We all know that Santa loves his cookies and milk but have you been forgetting that the reindeer really do all of the work? It must take a lot of energy to pull a fat man around the world with a sled loaded down with toys!

This year, use this simple recipe to make some food for Rudolf and the gang.

You can even print this cute little tag for free and take them to your gatherings for your cousins and friends. This is a great activity for the little ones to do.

What you’ll need:

  • Uncooked Oat
  • Sugar
  • Sprinkles or glitter (any color you want or have on hand)
  • Bowls
  • Something to scoop with

What you’ll do:

  • Mix up a scoop of each ingredient above for every bag of food you want to make.
  • Put it in a little zip lock bag and staple the poem on the front.

Done!

We poured all of the ingredients in to separate bowls, gave each child a bowl of their own to mix in, a scoop and let them “mix” their own food.

Sprinkle on your lawn before bedtime on Christmas Eve and make sure the reindeer have plenty of energy to finish their job!

Medical Minute: 2 Things to Know Before you Get Pregnant

Posted on by Angie

There are a few things every woman should know when it comes to getting pregnant. A healthy pregnancy starts well before you start showing your adorable baby bump. The 2 most common rules of thumb are Don’t drink or smoke. Here’s why:

Don’t smoke! Smoking can damage the fetus in several ways and may cause low birthweight, stillbirths, preterm births, and/or birth defects. Babies born to smokers may also have problems like poor lung development, increased risk of SIDS, growth or development deficiencies, asthma, or behavioral problems.

Babies of mothers who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have reduced fetal growth and low birthweight. However, according to the FDA, if a woman quits smoking early in her pregnancy, she increases her chance of delivering a healthy baby.

Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol consumption by the mother is a leading cause of preventable birth defects in the fetus and is the only known cause of mental retardation that is completely preventable. Everything a mother drinks goes to the fetus and is broken down more slowly in the immature body of the fetus. This can cause the alcohol levels to remain high and stay in the baby’s body longer. Even light or moderate drinking can affect the developing fetus. Because no amount of alcohol is safe, the US Surgeon General recommends that pregnant women avoid alcohol during pregnancy. An infant born to a mother who drinks alcohol during pregnancy can have problems included in a group of disorders called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). FASDs include the following:

  • Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): these are the most severe effects that can occur when a woman drinks during pregnancy,and include fetal death. Infants born with FAS have abnormal facial features and growth and central nervous system (CNS) problems, including mental retardation.
  • Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND): children with ARND may not have full FAS but have learning and behavioral problems due to prenatal exposure to alcohol. These problems may include mathematical difficulties, impaired memory or attention, impulse control and/or judgment problems, and poor school performance.
  • Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD): birth defects related to prenatal alcohol exposure can include abnormalities in the heart, kidneys, bones, and/or hearing

Time to Celebrate Hanukkah: Great Books for Kids!

Posted on by Angie

Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah or teaching your children the beliefs of others, here are some fun books for you to read with your little ones..

1. The Hanukkah Hop! Rachel and her parents prepare the house for their family to visit for Hanukkah. They’ll light candles, play dreidel, eat latkes, and dance the Hanukkah Hop! By Erica Silverman, illustrated by Steven D’Amico

2. The Hannukkah Mice: It’s the first night of Hanukkah, and the mouse family secretly looks on as Mr. Silman lights the first Hanukkah candle. Then they watch Rachel Silman open a gift from her family, a beautiful dollhouse with a wraparound porch and tiny lace curtains. Just the right size for the Hannukkah Mice! By Steven Kroll, illustrated by Micehlle Shapiro

3. It’s a Miracle! A Hannukkah Storybook: Every night of Hanukkah, after Owen — the Official Candle Lighter — lights the menorah, Grandma Karen kicks off her cowboy boots and tells him a bedtime story. Stories of a girl who dreams of becoming a rabbi, an amazing story of the alien who gets lost in a little girl’s backyard, a silly story about a boy who wants to be a baby…and whose parents let him! By Stephanie Spinner, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

4. Light the Candles: Hanukkah is here! There are so many fun things to do-light candles in the menorah, open presents, eat latkes and chocolate coins, play the dreidel game, and more. With the turn of each page, another candle is added to the menorah and another fun element of Hanukkah is depicted. Children can lift the flaps and see all the special ways there are to celebrate this joyful holiday. By Joan Holub, illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath

5. D is for Dreidel: Children will love learning about Hanukkah in this dreidel-shaped alphabet book! Every page contains a letter of the alphabet along with sweet, rhyming text and words that correspond with that letter. And as an added bonus, at the end of the book is the complete story of Hanukkah! This is a fantastic introduction to the holiday! By Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Dawn Apperley

Advertisements