December is here! Which means snuggling up with a stack of holiday-themed picture books is always a good idea. If you’re looking to add some new titles to your reading routine, you should definitely include Matt Tavares’ dreamily-illustrated, New York Times bestseller Dasher (2019) and this year’s charming sequel, Dasher Can’t Wait For Christmas.

While stories about Rudolph are everywhere, Tavares uses his books to introduce a lesser known Christmas protagonist in the form of Dasher, a brave young doe who helps her family escape captivity in a traveling circus to join Santa in the skies and in the North Pole (their original home).

While the first Dasher book quickly received instant-classic status, the just-released Dasher Can’t Wait For Christmas catches up with Dasher and her family, who are now happily settled in the North Pole, as they wait for Christmas to arrive once again.

Excitement, impatience, and curiosity get the best of Dasher, as she just can’t wait 12 whole “sleeps” until Christmas, and ends up setting out by herself, getting lost, and eventually making it back home on Christmas Eve with the help of a young human friend.

The darling story is complemented by Tavares’ masterful illustrations, filled with flurries of snow, intricately detailed winter scenes, and a classic quality that’ll have you remembering the holiday books of your own childhood.

We suggest grabbing Dasher‘s lastest tale, adding a big mug of cocoa, a cozy place to snuggle, and letting the holiday vibes wash over you with these two fresh reads.

You can buy Dasher Can’t Wait For Christmas at Bookshop, Amazon, and anywhere else books are sold.