BY ITS COVER: Ziefert, Cabot, Peterson

Before you had a chance to eat your turkey leftovers, Christmas music started bombarding you everywhere you went on Black Friday. With the holiday season upon us, there’s also plenty of holiday cheer to be found in bookstores.



“Hannukah Haiku,”

by Harriet Ziefert with

Karla Gudeon’s pics



Jewish holidays,

Japanese poetry, and

fly illustrations.



A picture’s worth a

thousand words. That’s 10 times the

words in this whole book.



The length is perfect

for tired parents who need

short bedtime stories.



Two cultures for the

price of one. A great deal! Thank

the giving author.





“Holiday Princess,” by Meg Cabot



In keeping with its “Princess Diaries” subject, this holiday book cover is pink and white instead of red and green. And just in case you thought this was a cheap attempt to make more money off a series with 13 books and two movies, the cover reminds you that Meg Cabot is a “#1 New York Times Best-selling Author.” It also features a sparkly tiara stem that blooms into a pink flower. Maybe, in this installment, Mia Thermopolis (OMG!) matures from her experiences and blooms into a beautiful, intelligent, stately young woman (again).





“Peterson’s Holiday Helper: Festive Pick-Me-Ups, Calm-Me-Downs, and Handy Hints to Keep You in Good Spirits,” by Valerie Peterson



This is the perfect gift for your WASPy friends (at least if the stereotype rings true to you). It’s got tradition, with a classic holiday red, green, and white vintage-looking cover with some holly and berries. And it’s got your alcohol—it fits three glasses into just one cover. (It’s classy, too—hardcover.) Tradition can be stressful, but alcohol always helps alleviate the burdens of the privileged—at least that’s what Santa’s little helper Peterson seems to say.