Something they want. Something they need. Something to Wear. Something to read. That's the tradition I want to begin for my children and family. My son is still an infant, so I'm beginning now. Although, he probably doesn't know what he wants just yet. So, let's focus on the reading portion of this Christmas tradition. I've gathered a list of great books for babies, kids, and women this year. All these books are relevant and highly recommended by Women and Their Pretties. Happy Shopping!

Books for Babies & Toddlers

1. Baby Loves Thermodynamics! By: Ruth Spiro

Babies are natural scientists, discovering and experimenting every minute. With bright, quirky illustrations and simple text, this adorable board book illustrates a practical and accessible example of thermodynamics:  the science of heat and energy. All the energy in Baby comes from the sun. Explore the transfer of energy as it flows from sun to apple to Baby. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!

2. Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering! By: Ruth Spiro

Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this book explores the basics of flight – from birds, to planes and rockets – and ties it all to baby’s world. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby’s sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!

3. Indestructibles Series

Indestructibles are books built for the way babies “read”: with their hands and mouths. Chew-proof, rip-proof, and drool-proof, they’re printed on a unique 100% nontoxic, paperlike material that holds up to anything babies can throw at it—gumming, spilling, dragging across the floor. Indestructibles are the little books that could. And if they get dirty, just wash them off. Beloved by babies and their parents, Indestructibles were invented by Amy Pixton, a mother of triplets, after bits of traditional board books found their way into her babies' mouths.

4. Highlights Big Fun Workbooks

Developed by the experts at Highlights who know how to combine learning with fun, the Big Fun Workbooks help children practice skills that are essential for school success while gaining the benefits only Highlights puzzles and activities can offer. Each book aligns with school standards and includes a certificate of achievement and parent tips.

5. Highlights Activity Books

Early learning skills are the focus of these sturdy board books with write-on, wipe-off pages and a dry-erase marker that comes in a reusable storage tray. Preschoolers will love tracing and learning how to write letters, words, and numbers as much as they do playing the classic Highlights puzzles that make learning fun.

Books for Kids

1. Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts: A Beginner's Guide to Moviemaking By: Bryan Michael Stoller

Inspired by the beloved Harry Potter films, Imagining Hogwarts: A Beginner’s Guide to Moviemaking teaches kids everything they need to know about making a movie—then gives them the chance to do it themselves.

Imagining Hogwarts is a fun, practical guide to making your very own movie set at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With guided activities on every aspect of moviemaking, from creating your own storyboard to making costumes and even postproduction, this book will teach you how to create your movie masterpiece step-by-step. Stickers, posters, and other removable extras packed inside will help you set the stage and craft the wizarding world movie of your dreams.

2. Absurdimals: Lola Goes To School By: Gwendolyn Javor

The Absurdimals are a group of hybrid animals here to shake up our perception of normal! They represent the changing faces of our society and encourage children to embrace individuality. In this book, Lola the Belephant goes to school for the first time and finds out she's not quite the same as the other animals. After feeling like an outsider, Lola learns that there is no such thing as being too different, there is only new-different. In accepting and loving herself for who she is, Lola inspires other “normal” animals to come forward, and embrace their own perceived absurdities, too!

3. Junior’s Adventures: Storytime Book Set By: Dave Ramsey

Part of the Junior’s Adventures series, the Storytime Book Set teaches kids the values of hard work, integrity, giving, saving, and avoiding debt. Kids will join Junior as he learns—sometimes the hard way—how to handle money. Kids ages 3-10 will immediately relate to Junior in these brightly illustrated stories. Includes: 6 Hardcover Books: The Super Red Racer, The Big Birthday Surprise, My Fantastic Field Trip, Careless at the Carnival, The Big Payoff, Battle of the Chores, Gift Box

4. Kidioke Books

Every book Kidioke sells is a song come to life!  There is an electronic component that plays the song of your choosing from beginning to end. An LED timer displays an upticking second counter which helps light the way at bedtime and keeps the reader engaged by learning when it's time to sing the next verse.  At second four, it's time to sing the first verse, at second 12 it's time to sing the second verse and so on.  The user will press play and the song will be begin along with the timer. The lyrics of the song are the text of the book and the illustrations actually act out those lyrics.  There is also a wikipedia explanation on the first page of every book telling of the song's derivation.

5. Leo's Moon By: Cinthia Del Grosso

Leo is a small boy who wants to make the moon happy again by cleaning up the earth. He comes up with a ‘big idea’ that spreads far and wide. Leo reminds us that we can all change our ways and “do our little bit” to make our earth healthy again, for ourselves and for future generations.

6. Petula, Circus Cat By: Marylouise Sholly

Petula, The Circus Cat, follows the story of a cat with a unique talent. The story begins by introducing a homeless cat that shows up at the door of Mr. and Mrs. Bumble. They take her in, and even though the cat is scared and shy at first, Mrs. Bumble's affection brings her out of her shell. They name her Petula, and she develops a trick of standing on her back feet and walking to Mrs. Bumble. Petula’s trick is inspired by a real cat in Sholly’s life. “Petula, Circus Cat is based on my own cat who actually does walk on the back of her feet for a short distance – she is my inspiration for this story,” says Sholly.

7. Big Bad Dad By: Ryan Bourquin

The story follows a tattooed dad with “big muscular arms and a giant puffy body” who likes to ride around in a big black truck. But the dad also has a softer side, as demonstrated in his relationship with his daughter, Violet. The author says the story was inspired by a lesson he’s learned first-hand over the last decade: everyone has a story.

8. Isaac Newt By: Jan Olearnick

Tells the tale of a very inquisitive lizard who discovers the law of gravity. Whileall of his friends were busy playing, Isaac studied their movements to make the discovery of why what went up, must surely come down.

9. The Adventures of Zealy and Whubba By: Roe de Pinto

The series follows Zealy – a little seal pup with sparkly eyes and beautiful, silky white fur. Her world is brand-new and full of surprises, but the best of all is when she meets Whubba – precious baby orca whale. They protect and love each other, all the while exploring the sand and sea with family and friends. Their adventures are not only fun but educational as the two little creatures learn about safety and their environment.

10. Olives, Where Are You By: G.B. Gurland

This book is an invitation to let go of what is familiar and try something different. It explores what happens when Emily decides that there is one and only one food she must have at each meal. Designed for young readers and their parents,Olives Where Are You? is a contemporary family account of a child’s insistence and her parents’ patient persistence. Emily rejects her parents’ attempts to get her to experiment with new foods. In fact, she digs her heels in with any suggestion that she change her mind. Emily does eventually come around and accept an alternative to her beloved olives, but only through her own process of self-discovery.

11. Phoenix the Brave Bird By: Paula Garcia Taveras

After the evil came to the woods and destroyed all that was beautiful and good, his hope was the only clue that Phoenix had when he went out for the unknown help to restore it. That hope was the magical power of love and friendship, which made Phoenix find whom he was looking for, and although the solution seemed to be simple, the degree of conviction inside of him had the final word.

12. Walking in Somebody Else’s Shoes By: Suzanne Ludwig

Throughout the book, the colorful illustrations show that footwear is needed, as we are dependent on shoes to carry out our day to day activities and jobs.Walking In Somebody Else’s Shoes, will appeal to children as it demonstrates that shoes can be protective, aesthetically pleasing, and serve a purpose as well.

13. The Fix-It-Fairies By: Samantha Gray

When accidents happen, it is always good to have small friends with tiny hands nearby. Even the biggest cuts, scrapes and bruises are no match for the Fix-It Fairies. Their hard work and dedication make everything feel a little bit better. It just takes a little time, sweet treats, and the darkness of night.

14. The Secret Society of Santa’s Helpers By: Heather Mirich

In the real world nothing exciting ever happened to nine-year-old Jaden. Jaden was a gamer and a dreamer. Reality just couldn’t compete with the imaginary world of his favorite video game, Minecraft. That is, until one night, Jaden found a letter that made him question the existence of Santa Claus. He knew in his heart Santa was real and there had to be an explanation. Jaden was determined to learn the truth! Jaden’s imagination took him on an adventure he never expected. On Christmas Eve he would uncover the truth about Santa Claus and who was behind the Secret Society of Santa’s Helpers.

15. Dinosaur (A Photicular Book) By: Dan Kainen & Kathy Wollard

Journey a hundred million years back in time, and see 8 amazing dinosaurs in motion.  Using unique Photicular® technology that’s like a 3-D movie on the page, DINOSAUR brings these legendary, long-extinct creatures to life. Each image delivers a rich, immersive visual experience—and the result is breathtaking. There’s a herd of giant sauroposeidons, with their impossibly long necks, lumbering across the sun-drenched plains, a threatened velociraptor waving its wildly feathered arms, and more. Flipping through these pages is transports readers to Earth’s distant past. With informative text by science writer Kathy Wollard, it’s like a natural history museum but better—experience it for yourself!

16. The Nocturnals books series By: Tracy Hecht

The Nocturnals features three unlikely friends: Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin and Bismark, the loud mouthed, pint sized sugar glider. The stories all play out in their nighttime world with teamwork, friendship and humor in every adventure.

17. My Family Loves Me books By: Shanalee Sharboneau

Internationally and Nationally awarded book series “My Family Loves Me”, created by Shanalee Sharboneau strengthens the bond between a father and son. “My Daddy Loves Me: I'm His Little Boy” delivers adventure through the gorgeous illustrations by Israel Dilean showing the imaginative journeys of a father and son studying animal bones in Egypt,  swimming in the ocean among sting rays and bathing in an African pond.The illustrations and words show the beautiful bond between a father and son in surroundings such as fishing under a sunset and camping under the stars as cowboys.

18. Are You Scared, Darth Vader?

19. Henri's Hats

On the train ride to visit his grandpa, or Papa, Henri is only interested in his game. But then George the dog steals Henri's hat upon arrival, so Henri makes chase and finds himself in front of a trunk full of hats.

Henri tries on each hat . . . and imagines himself a race car driver, a sea captain, a flying ace, and more!

Papa finally catches up to Henri and George, and that's when Henri hears Papa's stories, real stories, about racing, sailing, flying, and more!

As Henri heads home, he looks up at the stars and begins to dream . . . of being just like Papa.

20. Sleepy, The Goodnight Buddy

Roderick hates going to bed, and the young boy has become quite resourceful in coming up with ways to delay the dreaded hour when the lights must go out. Roderick's loving parents–fed up with the distractions and demands that have become his anti-bedtime ritual–decide to get him a stuffed animal to cuddle with and help him wind down. However, Sleepy quickly proves to be a bit high-maintenance. Just when we fear the night may never end, Sleepy's antics become too exhausting for Roderick to bear.

Books for Women

1. 365 Days of Happiness By: Jacqueline Pirtle

Do you have fun with your own life? How often do you really pay attention and choose things to improve your day? In 365 Days of Happiness, bestselling author, energy healer, and mindfulness teacher Jacqueline Pirtle has created daily inspirations that help you mindfully work towards living a more vivid experience of daily happiness. Showing that you can put in work to change your life while having fun, the practices are full of whimsy and delight. Jacqueline decided to spend every day of 2017 devoted to her own happiness. She wrote every single day about the things she does to honor her joy, and used these writings to create this 365 day step-by-step guide, so she could teach you how to shift to BE and live in a “high for life” frequency of happiness too—no matter where you are at in your life right now. She started writing these for herself, but has a little sneaky intent to touch your heart every day and initiate new learning, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom for you to get closer to your true, authentic happy self. Through light, bubbly, cheerful passages, each day teaches you to find happiness, use those sour lemons, and shift yourself into a “high for life” frequency where you can reach happiness anywhere at any time.

2. Girl, Wash Your Face By: Rachel Hollis

With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy, and reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be.

With unflinching faith and rock-hard tenacity, Girl, Wash Your Face shows you how to live with passion and hustle–and how to give yourself grace without giving up.

3. Great Things Inside

Stay on top of all your goals with this custom notekeeper featuring variations of grid paper and specially designed stickers for tracking your progress—plus fun prompts and colorful illustrations to keep you motivated.

4. Creativity Takes Time

It’s not always easy to be creative—to give our minds space to roam while ignoring our inner critic, to stare down a blank page and make the leap from nothing to anything. It takes courage.

Finding the courage to create is something the editors of Flow know a lot about. Creativity is a central value of the Flow mission, evident in every issue that bursts with the wild imaginations of its artists, writers, and editors. In Creativity Takes Courage, Flow brings together inspiration, hands-on projects, boundary-pushing activities, and special paper goodies to show readers how to unleash their inner artists.

5. Everything Is The Worst

Seriously, can you not though? Life is hard, everyone sucks, blah blah blah. Swearing (and drinking) helps, and so does this book, a charming collection of illustrations that actually say what most of us think every day—so freaking over it.

6. Your Story Is Your Power

IN A VERY REAL SENSE, we define ourselves through our stories. If we can truly understand the stories that made us the women we are, including the motivations behind our actions and thoughts, we can take charge of how our future unfolds.

WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF YOUR STORY?
Follow the prompts, tools, questions, and advice through a labyrinth of self-discovery to reach the center of your voice, your power, your truth. And then learn how to share that story—and all of your Feminine Power—with a world that needs to hear it.

7. Steal Like An Artist

You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.

Pop Culture Books for everyone

1. Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts By: Matthew Reinhart