The Spirit of Christmas
Bells jingle, sleds dash through the snow, trees are topped with sparkling stars, and children everywhere dream of candy canes and presents. But the best gift of all—the most magical gift of the season—is when we spend Christmas with those we love.\ Once again, this New York Times-bestselling author and artist has created a special, beautiful book that families will want to share year after year. (And readers will want to look for the Spirit of Christmas image that Nancy has hidden on every...
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A celebration of the most magical holiday of the year, by the incomparable Nancy Tillman.Publishers WeeklyAs the adult speaker of the story nods off in a comfy red chair, the Spirit of Christmas appears, ready to get the narrator in the holiday spirit. What follows is a buoyant, imagistic tribute to the season, as the Spirit lists joys both concrete (“A toy soldier band dressed in matching red sashes!”) and intangible, before offering the reminder: “Because it took nothing but love to begin it,/ it's not really Christmas if love isn't in it.” Tillman's ethereal illustrations (a frozen tree, dotted with peppermints; the cast of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” beside a river) are surreal but captivating. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)
I had just nodded off,at a quarter past four,when the Spirit of Christmasstepped in through my door. With a great show of sparkles,he decked all my halls in tinsel andtwinkles and bright, shining balls... I was really quite fondof the trimmings he'd brought."But there's just something missing this Christmas," I thought.
\ Publishers WeeklyAs the adult speaker of the story nods off in a comfy red chair, the Spirit of Christmas appears, ready to get the narrator in the holiday spirit. What follows is a buoyant, imagistic tribute to the season, as the Spirit lists joys both concrete (“A toy soldier band dressed in matching red sashes!”) and intangible, before offering the reminder: “Because it took nothing but love to begin it,/ it's not really Christmas if love isn't in it.” Tillman's ethereal illustrations (a frozen tree, dotted with peppermints; the cast of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” beside a river) are surreal but captivating. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)\ \ \ \ \ Children's Literature\ - Carlee Hallman\ In rhymed verse the search for that special something missing in Christmas preparation leads beyond decorations, sleigh bells, a band with red sashes, candy, and caroling. There are gentle things, and silent snow, paths to Grandma's house, lords a leaping, and Santa Claus. The answer is that Christmas "began with a child. Because it took nothing but love to begin it, it's not really Christmas if love isn't in it." The missing ingredient is "you" beneath the Christmas tree. This text is followed by a silhouette of a mother and baby and snow scene of an adult and child ice-skating. Caroling is illustrated by a howling pack of wolves with a bar of "We wish you a Merry Christmas" overhead. A regal lion with a lamb and a white dove are shown for the gentle things. In various pictures a child pulls a sled, makes a snow angel, and throws a snowball. The wonderful colored illustrations convey a sense of joy and peace. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman\ \ \ School Library JournalK-Gr 4–“I had just nodded off,/at a quarter past four,/when the Spirit of Christmas/stepped in through my door.” So begins this lovely story in which all the delights of the season are presented. Realism and fantasy are satisfyingly paired to bring the mixed-media illustrations of treasured holiday scenes to life. Many of the paintings include bits of lyrics and music from well-known carols. The message is sweet; no matter how fancy one’s decorations, no matter how elaborate one’s feast, or how many pretty packages wait beneath the tree, “It is love that makes the angels sing.” A beautiful and timeless book.–Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsBestselling author Tillman offers a dreamlike interpretation of the collective spirit that permeates the holiday. The first-person rhyming text shows the narrator (the author herself?) dozing off just as the personified Spirit enters the room. The following illustrations and text create a magical atmosphere, with a sleigh splashing through water, peppermints growing on trees and wolves howling a Christmas carol. A page representing peace shows a lion lying down with a lamb with a dove overhead, and another page shows a flock of sheep under the Christmas star with a textual reference to the baby of the season. This mysterious approach concludes with the narrator's child viewing the Christmas tree, which to her is the best part of Christmas. The illustrations have an appealing, surrealistic quality, but the caliber of the text is uneven. (Picture book. 4-7)\ \
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