Vibrant characters spread holiday messages

Advertisers make sure that everyone understands the "season of giving" during the holidays, but this year's crop of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa books aim to help children understand the kind of giving that can't be measured in dollars.

Characters as varied as a miniature donkey named Ernest, a redheaded second-grader whose words get jumbled between his brain and his tongue, friendly aliens traveling in a spaceship and Santa Claus himself show a generosity of spirit that provides an alternative to the relentless holiday marketing.

A couple of new releases offer Christmas classics wrapped up in lovely new packages. "The Nutcracker" (Running Press, ages 4-8), adapted from the 19th-century story by E.T.A. Hoffmann with new illustrations by Don Daily, is a handsome volume with gold trim that is meant to keep visions of sugar plum fairies dancing in children's heads for generations.

"'Tis the Season" (Chronicle Books, all ages) also aims to be a family keepsake, with a collection of timeless essays and stories such as "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus," "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (also known by its opening line, "'Twas the night before Christmas") and excerpts from Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Illustrations from the late 19th and early 20th century give the book a vintage feel and tastefully adorn traditional carols such as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "The Wassail Song."

With sitcom-style misunderstandings, "Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?" and "Are You Grumpy, Santa?" boast a more humorous take on Christmas.

"We aw hab codes!" a sniffling reindeer tells Santa in Laura Rader's "Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?" (HarperCollins, ages 4-8), prompting him to hold auditions for reindeer substitutes. An elephant kept aloft with hot-air balloons, a pair of cows called "The Happy Hoofers" and rabbits known as "The Fly-Away Hares" are comical, but unsuccessful, stand-ins for the reindeer, who ultimately get over the flu in time to save Christmas.

In "Are You Grumpy, Santa?" (Hyperion, ages 3-8) by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, Santa's having a bad Christmas Eve. He starts the day off wearing an itchy new suit because his regular one shrunk in the dryer. He must skip his usual breakfast of waffles, pancakes, sausage, eggs and steak because of a weight-loss regimen imposed by Mrs. Claus. And as he travels around the world delivering gifts, he slips on a rigatoni noodle in Italy and is nearly trampled by a bull in Pamplona, Spain.

But the book shows that no matter how many things get in the way, a plate of cookies and a note from a loving child can make it all better. "Santa smiled and took a bite: the lesson was quite clear. When people do nice things for you, the GRUMPIES disappear!"

Santa isn't mentioned at all in "Redheaded Robbie's Christmas Story" (Sleeping Bear Press, ages 4-8) by Bill Luttrell. The Christmas ideal of compassion and generosity is the star of this story of a tongue-tied second-grader who must overcome a bad case of nerves after he's picked to write a Christmas story and read it in front of his school. Redheaded Robbie personifies those ideals and gets his message across despite his verbal limitations, ending with a triumphant "Flurry Flickmas to all!"

Animal lovers have plenty to choose from with titles like Joseph Slate's "Little Porcupine's Christmas" (HarperCollins, ages 3-6), Wendy Wax's "A Very Mice Christmas" (HarperCollins, ages 2-6), and "Ernest's Special Christmas" (Barnesyard Books, ages 4-8) Laura T. Barnes' story of a miniature donkey who helps rescue his friend, Chester the horse, who is trapped in the snow on Christmas Eve.