Cat Family Christmas: Volume 1 An Advent Lift-the-Flap Book
#1 of 2 in Cat Family Christmas Series
What’s inside...
This festive book invites young readers to celebrate the holiday season with the Cat Family. As an advent calendar-style lift-the-flap book, it features over 140 flaps for children to explore. Each flap reveals surprises and advances the story of the Cat Family as they prepare for Christmas, offering a fun and interactive experience that builds anticipation for the holiday. The book provides a contemporary twist to the nostalgic Victorian advent calendar tradition, with delightful illustrations and Liberty print-style patterns. As readers help the Cat Family decorate, bake, and prepare the house, they can open tiny flap 'doors' on each page to discover hidden details and surprises, making this a whimsical and charming picture book that will fill families with Christmas cheer.
Discussion points
What was your favorite part of the Cat Family’s Christmas preparation and why?
How do you think each member of the Cat family felt as they got ready for Christmas?
Why is it important to help each other during festive preparations like the Cat family did?
Can you think of a way we can make our holiday preparations special, just like the Cat family?
What surprise would you like to find behind a flap if you were in the Cat family’s Christmas adventure?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their thoughts and feelings about the story by asking open-ended questions that prompt deeper thinking. Relate the festive activities of the Cat family to your own family traditions to make it more relatable and engaging. Celebrate your child’s responses to foster a positive reading environment, and encourage creativity by suggesting they imagine their own lift-the-flap surprises.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: The Importance of Family Togetherness
Explanation: Throughout 'Cat Family Christmas,' the Cat family demonstrates the joys of spending time and preparing for Christmas together, enhancing the bonding experience.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to value and prioritize family time, understanding that collective activities can strengthen relationships and create cherished memories.
Example Lesson: Sharing and Generosity
Explanation: As the characters in the book exchange gifts and help each other with decorations, the spirit of giving and sharing is vividly portrayed.
Real-World Application: This can encourage children to practice generosity in their daily interactions, be it sharing a toy or helping a sibling, fostering a sense of empathy and kindness.
Example Lesson: Curiosity and Discovery
Explanation: The lift-the-flap feature of this book encourages interactive reading. Children’s natural curiosity is stimulated as they explore what lies behind each flap.
Real-World Application: Such engagement can promote an inquisitive mindset, crucial in academic learning and problem-solving situations outside the bookish context.
Example Lesson: Celebrating Traditions
Explanation: The Cat family partakes in various traditional Christmas activities. This highlights the importance of cultural traditions and the values they carry.
Real-World Application: Children learn to appreciate and respect their own and others' cultural practices, understanding the richness and diversity of cultural expressions.