The last books of 2019 are by no means the least! December brings plenty of exciting new books that will keep the kids entertained well beyond 2020, too. From the newest adventures of our favorite Crayons to Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man: Fetch 22 to Jimmy Kimmel’s hit, The Serious Goose, the end of the year is a great time to grab a book and read.
Picture Books
Love from the Crayons
The Crayons are back! And this time it's all about love. This unique picture book features the creative crayons of author Drew Daywalt's popular previous books, The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home, with beloved illustrations by Oliver Jeffers, is all about how many things love can be. "Love is red, because it comes in all shapes and sizes; Love is brown, because sometimes it stinks." Releasing Dec. 24.
Ages: 5-8
Order here, $7.99
The Cool Bean
You know what's really cool? Kindness. And this delightful new book from Jory John and Pete Oswald proves it.
Ages: 4-8
Get it here, $14.24.
The Serious Goose
Written and illustrated by Jimmy Kimmel, we dare you to read The Serious Goose without laughing. Inspired by Kimmel's nickname for his own kids, it helps us all become a little more serious about being silly.
Ages: 3-7
Get it here, $14.52.
Freedom Soup
Join a Haitian grandma and her granddaughter in the kitchen as they make their traditional New Year's Soup, aka Freedom Soup, and learn the story of Haiti's independence. Includes a delicious recipe for you to try at home. Author Tami Charles pays homage to her heritage while Jacqueline Alcántara highlights the joy and richness of the culture with her gorgeous illustrations.
Ages: 5-9
Get it here, $16.99
Chapter Books
The Attack of the Zombie Zing (Project Z #3)
Our favorite zombie 5th grader is back! Arnold is doing well in school and starting to really embrace both his "human" and zombie sides. Things are going smooth, until a new zombie comes to town. Azalea, Arnold's friend from (the zombie) Territory moves in with a human family and starts a human elementary school, too. But when Azalea isn't sure if she wants to stay, Arnold starts to wonder if he's made the right choice himself.
Ages: 8-12
Get it here, $6.99.
Graphic Novels
Dog Man: Fetch 22
Dav Pilkey is back with this next Dog Man book and it's as clever as ever. The prolific Pilkey also released the seventh book in the series, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls ,in August of this year. In this one, Petey the Cat is out of jail and has a new outlook: but will he actually start to get along with Dog Man? Read it to find out!
Ages: 7 and up
Get it here, $9.
The Bad Guys in the Baddest Day Ever
Fans of Dog Man will love this graphic novel and the adventures of the Bad Guys, heroes who are doing good deeds (whether you want them to or not).
Ages: 7-10
Get it here, $5.99.
Major Impossible (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #9)
The ninth book in the bestselling series tells the story of John Wesley Powell, the one-armed geologist who explored the Grand Canyon.
Ages: 8-12
Get it here, $10.99.
Activity Books
100 Easy STEAM Activities: Awesome Hands-On Projects for Aspiring Artists and Engineers
The perfect cure for rainy day boredom, this book is packed with projects that teach the principles of science, technology, engineering, art and math with on-hand ingredients like shaving cream and cookies. Have fun learning early ideas in chemistry, physics, computing, color-mixing and so much more.
Ages: 6-11
Get it here, $19.99.
Playing with Paints - Watercolor: 100 Prompts, Projects and Playful Activities
From kids to grownups, Sara Funduk's book is for anyone who wants to explore painting with watercolors. Includes more than 100 lessons.
Ages: All ages
Get it here, $24.99.
Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials
From a homemade to a marble maze to a superhero mask or a dino terrarium, this is the ultimate stay-at-home-and-have-fun book for winter break and beyond. Re-use materials you already have to create hours of epic inventions, crafts and more. Created by Kimberly McLeod, the woman behind The Best Ideas for Kids®, you'll find budget-friendly, eco-conscious projects that are great for imaginary play, bedroom decorations, gift giving and beyond.
Ages: 6-11
Get it here, $17.99.
The Invisible String Workbook: Creative Activities to Comfort, Calm, and Connect
From the author of the picture book phenomenon The Invisible String, this companion workbook includes over 50 creative art therapy and writing activities to help kids recover from trauma and build healthy relationships with themselves and others.
Ages: 4 and up
Get it here, $12.99.
Real Chemistry Experiments: 40 Exciting STEAM Activities for Kids
Create a chemistry experiment in your own kitchen or classroom with this book that guides you through the science of experiments. Each activity tackles a purpose or question, and includes step-by-step instructions to solve or answer the question using the scientific method. It calls for easy-to-find materials and offers practical, real-life examples to help kids understand the importance of chemistry in our daily lives.
Ages: 8-12
Get it here, $10.79.
Awesome Robotics Projects for Kids: 20 Original STEAM Robots and Circuits to Design and Build
Robotics for kids is a series of beautifully photographed projects that helps kids create robots—from the basics to the more advanced—with clear instructions and explanations on how robots are used in daily life.
Ages: 5-10
Get it here, $13.49.
––Amber Guetebier
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