Book Gift Guide: Our Favorite Gift-Giving Books From Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books consistentlyoffers a great selection of awesome books that are not only reallyinteresting but also have cool covers.  Since beginning weeklygiveaways with them, I’ve had an opportunity to review a number oftheir books and wanted to share the following giftables with you. 

For the Latin music/beauty fan
Thalia: Belleza! Lessons in Lipgloss and Happiness

For the Disney fan in all of us
To Infinity and Beyond!

Grrrrlpower 2007-style for generation Z
Fearlessness: The Story of Lisa Andersen
If your daughter is a fan of the Roxy brand of surf wear or loves to surf, she’ll love the inspiring story of Lisa Andersen who inspired a generation of girls to surf.

For the bird lover
Sightings: Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Birds
Bird Songs from Around the World

For the kid who already has all of the Wizardology, Pirateology, Egyptology, etc. books
Cowboy Stories

For the film buff
Obsessed with Hollywood

For the worrier
The COMPLETE Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

And their kid
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Junior Edition

For the animal lover (kid or adult)
Creature
Kittenwar is based on the popular site kittenwar.com that pits photosof adorable kittens side by side.  Filled with ridiculously adorablefelines, this book is great for that cat lady in your life or theperson who is addicted to cuteoverload.
Tail Talk promises to turn you into a dog whisperer.  Learn how your dog’s body works together to convey exactly how he’s feeling in this photo illustration-packed guide.

Great for last minute hostess gifts
The Garden at Night: Private Views of Public Edens shows us the gardens we rarely see- flowers in the dark, lit just enough to reveal their lushness and luminosity. Not just for night owls!  A great coffee table book.
The Cath Kidston Recipe Organizer is a great kitschy kitchen must-have that helps keep cooks organized with room to write recipes, shopping lists, and figure out measurements.

For the baker
Christmas Sweets is a coffee table book and cookbook all rolled up in one.  Filled with full-color photos, it features recipes for transforming your table into a winter wonderland of sweet Christmasy treats like Almond-Butter Toffee, Pecan Lace Cookies, and Apricot-Pistachio bars.

For the gourmet
Foodie Fight: A Trivia Game for Serious Food Lovers
Ifyou’re not sure which Mario Battali or Bobby Flay cookbook to get yourfoodie friends, consider this trivia game that allows players to struttheir stuff and prove they are the foodiest.

For the grandma with a sense of humor
Good Grannny/Bad Granny is a mischevious book that celebrates the grandmas who love to spoil their grandchildren rotten. Similar to Kittenwar, it pits good grannies (those who make the grandkids take a bath) against bad (letting them run through the sprinklers).
Hot Granny: Fabulous at 50, 60 and Beyond!
If your mother or mother-in-law needs a confidence booster (but has a sense of humor),

For the woman who wants it all
Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous: A Nutritionist’s Guide to Living Well While Living it Up shows you how it’s possible to have beautiful skin, a fantastic figure and peace of mind all while living the good life.  Now this is a book for all of your friends!

For new or about-to-be-new mom
Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner’s Guide to Breastfeeding
Hot Mama: How to Have a Babe and Be a Babe ($10.95)

 For the soon-to-be new dad
Don’t Just Stand There: How to Be Helpful, Clued-In, Supportive, Engaged, Meaningful, and Relevant in the Delivery Room

For the sarcastic mom
I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood
Wow! I Get to Give Birth and Change Diapers Photo Album

Holiday-themed books for kids
The J. otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh Christmas classic, Olive the Other Reindeer, celebrates its tenth anniversary since publication and over a million copies sold with a deluxe edition that has flaps to lift, spots to scratch and sniff, and a pop-up ending.  There’s also a pop-up -Advent Calendar.
Little Reindeer and Santa Claus Finger Puppet Books
N is for Navidad – Each letter of the alphabet introduces kids to a Spanish word, and each page takes them through an aspect of the holiday.  Not just for Spanish-speakers!
Moishe’s Miracle
The Hanukkah Mice
52 Activities for Jewish Holidays

For toddlers
Finger Puppet Friends and Playtime Boxed Sets – The Friends set includes Little Bee, Little Ladybug, Little Lamb, and Little Duck.  The Playtime set includes Little Kitten and Little Puppy, which are exclusive to this set, and Little Butterfly and Little Bunny.

Eric Carle Collection – Lacing Cards, Caterpillar & Butterfly cards, Growth Chart, Animal Flash Cards

For kids who’ve finished the whole Junie B. series
Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go, Ivy and Bean, and Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record – Ivy and Bean are best friends who (ages 5-9).  Visit the Ivy and Bean minisite for sample chapters.

For kids who love the Ugly Dolls
Who You Callin’ Ugly address book, notebook set, Journal, Stationery, Postcards

Books for babies
Mini Masters – Rousseau and Gaugin – The Mini Masters series of board books can introduce young children to classic works of arts from artists like Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, Money, Degas, Matisse, Cassatt, Picasso and now the latest- Dreaming with Rousseau and On an Island with Gauguin.
Mrs. Mustard’s Baby Faces: Revised and Enlarged – Nothing is more fascinating to a baby than another baby.
Who Loves You Baby?

For parents in snowy climates
Kitchen Playdates
DIY Kids – great snow/rainy day activities

Oldies but goodies
Tales From the Brothers Grimm
Art Across the Ages: Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mexico

Non-book items
Games for Your Brain: Shark Cards and World Cards
Nickelodeon Trivia Challenge
InIck, the world’s grossest monsters battle it out in this card game ofgooey worms, toxic slime, and bug-eyed beasties.  Whoever collects themost gross stuff wins the game.  Ages 6+
Squiggles is noordinary coloring book. Japanese author Taro Gomi invites kids to notonly color but also paint, draw and imagine with the third book in theseries.  He’s the guy who’s responsible for great titles like Everyone Poops.

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