Experience the enchantment of the season
as David Black shares holiday traditions
through songs and visual storytelling!

For a magically musical beginning, David draws Frosty the Snowman on a wipe-off board while singing that popular song.  Amazingly, Frosty comes to life and joins David to the audience’s delight.  Alas! Just like the song, Frosty has to leave, but fortunately, the enjoyment of this holiday program has just begun.

David visually retells the story of the Magic Dreidels, by Eric Kimmel, which describes a Jewish family’s preparations to celebrate Hanukkah and the unusual adventure of the son, Jacob, when he encounters a peaceful goblin in the village well.  Students will delight at the appearance of latkes and silver coins when the magic dreidels spin as well as chuckle at Fruma Sarah’s punishment for her deceit.  There is a happy ending since Jacob’s family invites all their neighbors over to celebrate their good fortune – even Fruma Sarah.

Every child anticipates the arrival of Santa Claus each year, but what would Santa do if something happened to his bright red suit?  Santa’s New Suit tells how Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Santa’s elves try to fix the problem when Mrs. Claus discovers that she accidentally shrunk Santa’s suit. A student in invited on stage to play the part of Santa, modeling all the outfits (based on the whimsical illustrations by Mike Lester) that appear from a costume shop, while David recites author Lisa Rojany’s delightful poem.

Chris Van Allsburg’s Polar Express was awarded the Caldecott Medal for Children’s Literature in 1986.  The climax of the story comes when the young boy is picked to receive the first present of Christmas from Santa and chooses a sleigh bell. Your students will be captivated as David displays “the actual” pocket of the young boy and demonstrates how the sleigh bell  vanishes, reappears and eventually rings for “all who truly believe.”

How does someone who is mean and dastardly become a favorite Christmas character?  Only the inimitable Dr. Seuss can pull that off.  Who are we talking about?  The Grinch of course! David invites two students come on stage and help illustrate How the Grinch Stole Christmas or, more specifically, how he stole the decorated trees and the presents.  In the process, the students discover why the Grinch wasn’t able to steal the “spirit of Christmas” and why his heart “grew three times that day.”

Kwanzaa is a relatively recent holiday tradition that was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a way for African Americans to develop a sense of pride in their culture and history.  Kwanzaa is marked by the Nguzo Saba; seven principles that are given special attention beginning December 26th and ending January 1st.   Those principles are shared in the story, Seven Spools of Thread, written by Angela Shelf Medaris and illustrated by Daniel Minter.  David highlights these seven principles while retelling the story with colorful balls, silk, and gold.

The program comes full circle as David sings the Irving Berlin classic, White Christmas, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1942 and has been a perennial favorite ever since. At the conclusion of the song, in the midst of a beautiful snowstorm, a  surprise guest makes a magical appearance! And though it’s time for David to bid farewell, fortunately, the enjoyment of this holiday season will linger on in songs, literature and the magic that this festive season brings.