Run, run as fast as you can!

Tis' the season for baking cookies and enjoying steaming hot cups of cocoa.  This month's print was inspired by childhood memories of baking Christmas cookies with my mom, playing in the fluffy snow for hours at a time and then warming up to big mugs of Swiss Miss.

The holidays can sometimes be busy and stressful but taking the time to create little memories and traditions with your kids along the way will make it all worth while.  

As we were looking for books to introduce this month we couldn't ignore the classic Gingerbread Man, but we found some other books that we think your family is going to love, possibly even more!

 Here are this month's top picks:

1. "The Gingerbread Man" by Richard Scarry. This is the classic tale of a cookie that magically came to life. Throughout the story he avoids being eaten by the many animals that he comes across. Until the end, when the cunning fox out smarts the gingerbread man and has an afternoon snack. The is a hardcover Little Golden Book Classic. This book is a classic but may not be suitable for sensitive children.

2. "Gingerbread Baby" by Jan Brett. This is a super cute rendition of the classic Gingerbread Man story. The gingerbread baby in this story is chased through the woods and through the town narrowly escaping capture. The little boy that made the gingerbread baby is the only one that is successful in "catching" the gingerbread baby but in an unexpected and sweet way. The last page of the book has a flap that allows you to see the happy gingerbread baby. This book is a board book and is beautifully illustrated. Each page is filled with detailed drawings of children, animals, and scenery that are sure to capture your child's attention. This book would be perfect for children 3-7 years old.

3. "Ten Tiny Gingerbread Men" Illustrated by Ruth Galloway. This is a great book for your young counters. Each page has die-cut gingerbread men so as you flip through the pages there become fewer and fewer gingerbread men until the end where you see them all together again. The rhyming story is easy to read and will be fun for your child to say along with you. This is a soft cover book that is accented with glitter, because who doesn't love glitter! This book would be a great pre-k level book to introduce counting.

4. "Gingerbread Mouse" by Katy Bratun. This is the cutest book ever! It is about a little mouse whose house was destroyed by the wind. She goes out to find a new home and comes across a beautiful gingerbread house sitting near a window. She sneaks in and makes herself at home and is quite happy and comfortable. Then one night Santa visits and gives her a gift, her very own house that will surely last longer than a gingerbread house. Not only does the mouse have a new cozy place to live but she also makes a friend in the process. This is a soft cover book that is colorfully illustrated. I would recommend this book for children 3-10 years old.