Read This, Do That: How to Have a Holiday Storybook Adventure

We've paired new holiday-themed books by Bay Area authors and illustrators with adventures that you and your family can have to make the stories come to life.

By rtemmasmith October 10, 2015

What’s better than escaping into storyland with your kids on a chilly December morning? How about exploring the the Bay Area’s winter wonderland and making some adventures of your own? Pour a cup of cocoa and snuggle up with these titles from Bay Area authors and illustrators. Then, let their stories inspire you and your family to venture forth and create some yuletide memories. Click through to see all of our recommended book-meets-real-life activities!

Fire Up The Menorah

Read This: The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming
Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler and the author of the Series of Unfortunate Events books) offers a quirky take on the story of the little gingerbread man. A Hanukah latke jumps out of a pan of sizzling oil and flees to the forest, where he must endure encounters with a smug string of lights, a haughty candy cane, and an unfriendly pine tree, who refuse to recognize his holiday. Brilliantly offbeat jokes and asides will keep adult readers giggling, too.

Then Do This: Make a pilgrimage to Ghirardelli Square to bask in the glow of the giant menorah, which will be set ablaze on candle at a time through Dec 14. (For more menorah and tree lightings, click here.)

Ghirardelli Square, SF
Online: ghirardellisq.com

Photo: Ken L. via Yelp

Do you have a suggestion for a book-meets-local-adventure pairing? Tell us in the comments below!

–Emma Bland Smith