Happy New Year!

What’s with the baby wearing the sash and top hat? One of the most common symbols of the changing year is Father Time handing off an hourglass representing the passage of time to a rosy-cheeked infant, Baby New Year. And while the symbolism of the baby seems self-evident — a fresh start, optimism, unlimited potential — the question remains.

What’s with that weird baby?

Here’s what I know. The ancient Greeks would welcome in the new year by parading a baby in a basket through city streets as a representation of Dionysus — the god of wine, fertility and theater — reborn annually in a ritual of renewal and rebirth. Ancient Egyptians and Romans celebrated the changing calendar with similar rites, and with the rise of Christianity, these various mystery cults’ seasonal celebrations became incorporated into the mythos of the Christ Child.

By the late 19th and early 20th century, newspaper cartoons and magazine covers often depicted the arriving year in cherubic infant form. Cartoonist Joseph Keppler popularized the theme in Puck magazine in the 1870s, and J. C. Leyendecker carried the torch forward in his covers for The Saturday Evening Post from 1907-1943.

In 1976, an animated Baby New Year starred in the Rankin/Bass stop-motion holiday special “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year,” which also featured a giant vulture, a talking clock and time travel.

And so it goes. The new year arrives, innocent and new and filled with potential. The old year departs, a bent-backed, long-bearded old man bearing an hourglass and a sickle.

I guess being a symbol ages one prematurely.

Anyway, while you’re toasting the arrival of the New Year, do give a thought to Baby New Year. Poor little kid. They’ve got a long road ahead of them.

For the rest of us, as the new year begins, here are just a few of the local literary happenings in the early part of 2026.

Friday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. — Copperfield’s Books hosts Paula Lafferty, author of “The Once and Future Queen,” the first installment in her new “The Lives of Guinevere” series.

Sunday, Jan. 11 from 1-3 p.m. — The Word Horde Emporium hosts Cody Goodfellow, author of the action-packed dieselpunk novel “New Tomorrow.” This appearance was rescheduled from September.

Mondays, from 10:30 a.m. to noon — Aqus Cafe hosts “Shut Up and Write!” a weekly meet-up for writers who enjoy working on projects in a room full of other writers working on projects.

Thursday, Jan. 15 from 5-6 p.m. — The Word Witches Book Club meets at the Word Horde Emporium to discuss Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb novel, “Gideon the Ninth.”

Sunday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. — The Word Horde Emporium celebrates Edgar Allan Poe’s 217th birthday with readings from local authors and actors, with Poe-inspired refreshments.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m. — The Petaluma Historical Library and Museum presents a writing workshop titled “Dusty Artifact or Window Into the Past: Writing Poems on Petaluma History,” hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter.

Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. — Copperfield’s hosts author Grant Faulkner and photographer Gail Butensky, in support of their new book “Something Out There in the Distance,” which explores the American desert through landscapes and prose.

And now, here’s what Petaluma readers were picking up in December.

Copperfield’s Top 5 Fiction and Non-Fiction Books

1. ‘God of the Woods’ by Liz Moore: When a teenage girl disappears from an Adirondack summer camp, a mystery filled with twists and turns ensues. But “The God of the Woods” is no simple whodunnit. Moore crafts an immersive epic family history, rife with drama, secrets and lies.

2. ‘Correspondent’ by Virginia Evans: An epistolary novel centered on a prickly septuagenarian named Sybil Van Antwerp, who exchanges letters with friends, foes, family and famous literary figures.

3. ‘Project Hail Mary’ by Andy Weir: From the bestselling author of “The Martian,” this thriller follows a science teacher who is sent into deep space to try and save the world. A film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, will be released in March of 2026.

4. ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ by Shelby Van Belt: Now in paperback, Van Pelt’s debut novel concerns a widow who befriends a giant Pacific octopus. Together, they try to solve the mystery surrounding the widow’s missing son. Soon to be a Netflix film starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman.

5. ‘Good Things’ by Samin Nosrat: The author of “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” returns with 125 of her favorite recipes, with an emphasis on flavor and communion.

Copperfield’s Top 5 bestselling Kids books

1. ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper’ by Jeff Kinney: In this 20th book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, Greg Heffley is planning the ultimate birthday party — for himself, but, characteristically, everything goes wrong. Laugh-out-loud humor for the middle-grade set.

2. ‘Dog Man: Big Jim Believes’ by Dav Pilkey: In this fourteenth installment in the popular Dog Man series, the Space Cuties from Space return, bringing devastation and cuteness. Can Dog Man and his compatriots save the day? And will Big Jim’s sweetness and optimism be an asset, or a hinderance?

3. ‘Andy: A Dog’s Tale’ by John Kelly: The story of a puppy who overcomes obstacles to become a service dog. Adapted from the short film from Ignite Animation Studios and Canine Companions.

4. ‘How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney’ by Mac Barnett: A playful book that asks an important and provocative question — How, exactly does Santa go down the chimney?

5. ‘First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate’s Revenge’ by Mac Barnett: In the fourth and latest installment in the First Cat graphic novel series, First Cat, LOZ 4000 and the Moon Queen take on swashbuckling pirates led by the notorious Captain Babybeard.

Hot in December at the Word Horde Emporium

1. ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ by Matt Dinniman: The first book in Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series finds Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut attempting to survive a deadly game show megadungeon built on the ruins of earth. A darkly humorous and over-the-top LitRPG series.

2. ‘This Year: 365 Songs Annotated: A Book of Days’ by John Darnielle: Part lyrics collection, part meditation on inspiration, part guidebook to making art, “This Year” forms a definitive record of the songs of John Darnielle and The Mountain Goats. Illustrated by John Keogh.

3. ‘Shield of Sparrows’ by Devney Perry: A high-stakes, slow-burn, spicy romantasy described as The Witcher meets Cinderella. Strong worldbuilding, an innovative magic system, monsters and adventure couple with a steamy enemies-to-lovers swoon-worthy romance to deliver one of the hottest romantic fantasy books of the year.

4. ‘The Devils’ by Joe Abercrombie: The Dirty Dozen goes medieval in the latest from Abercrombie. Action packed, devilishly fun and emotionally affecting, “The Devils” features among its cast of characters a hapless monk, whose latest promotion is definitely more than he’s bargained for, a thief who might just be the most unlikely heiress to an imperial throne, an ancient soldier who wears the scars of centuries of battle, a swashbuckling jill-of-all-trades with friends everywhere, an aristocratic vampire, a lusty Swedish werewolf, a narcissistic necromancer, and an invisible elf. A sharp, witty ride with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. And a few that may just break your heart.

5. ‘Sweet Venom’ by Rina Kent: A follow-up to Kent’s “Beautiful Venom,” and another puzzle piece in the interconnected, multi-book #Rinaverse, this one’s a dark college hockey romance featuring a secret society, revenge plots, stalking, an antihero and an enemies-to-lovers relationship.