Advent

The Legend of the Poinsettia

Book cover: 'The Legend of the Poinsettia'
Author(s): 
Tomie de Paola
Illustrator(s): 
Tomie de Paola
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1994
Publisher: 
Paperstar Books
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Advent and Christmas Stories
Grade / Age level: 
Preschool
Grades K-2
Review: 
This lovely retelling of an old Mexican legend transports us to the mountains of Mexico, where a young girl, Lucida, prepares for Christmas with her family. Her mother is a fine weaver, and the Padre asks her to make a new blanket for the Baby Jesus. When her mother falls ill, she longs to help finish the blanket, but only seems to make a mess of things. With no gift for the Baby Jesus, Lucida hides and watches the procession from afar. An old woman assures her that "any gift is beautiful because it is given" and that "Whatever you give, the Baby Jesus will love, because it comes from you."

Feeling more courageous, Lucida picks a bundle of weeds and brings them to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene at church, where they are beautifully transformed.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
11-29-06

The Miracle of St. Nicholas

Book cover: 'The Miracle of St. Nicholas'
Author(s): 
Gloria Whelan
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1997
Publisher: 
Bethlehem Books
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
Advent and Christmas Stories
Grade / Age level: 
All ages
Review: 
It was the day before Christmas in a modern-day Russian village which has lived through the closing of their church, St. Nicholas. When the church was first closed, everything inside the church mysteriously disappeared and the priest was gone. Now, even though the soldiers were gone, there seemed to be no way to celebrate Mass on Christmas day. Young Alexi questions his babushka about this, but all seems hopeless. Still, she explains that "A miracle happens when God enters into your dream. But first you must have the dream."...

The text is fully illustrated using the traditional icon technique and style. It makes for a charming, but slightly haunting look... a subtle reminder of past sorrows in the face of a hopeful future. The book is a delightful Christmas story for the whole family; full of faith, hope and the beauty of tradition.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

The Miracle on 34th Street

Author(s): 
Valentine Davies
Illustrator(s): 
Tomie de Paola
Number of pages: 
118 pages
Copyright: 
1998
ISBN: 
1578660270
Publisher: 
Galahad Books
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Advent and Christmas Stories
Grade / Age level: 
Elementary
Review: 
When I was little, there was one Advent tradition that really stands out in my mind: the annual viewing of the movie, Miracle on 34th Street. It usually aired on the last weekday before Christmas Eve - we'd be home on Christmas Break, wrapping presents or decorating the house, and this classic would be playing in the background. I'm talking about THE classic 1947 movie - Natalie Wood as the little girl, Maureen O'Hara and John Payne as the "love interest", Gene Lockhart as the judge with a heart, and the ultimate St. Nick: Edmund Gwenn. This is the movie to start your holiday season!

The idea for the movie originated as the Davies family watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from their apartment in post-WWII New York City. Mr. Davies remarked on the growing commercialism of the season and asked "What would Santa do if he were here today?" The answer was a classic movie from 20thCentury Fox. The book, The Miracle on 34th Street, is true to this original movie - written by Davies and his wife after the movie's debut, the book was an instant success. The copy we have, reprinted in 1998 by Galahad Books, is richly illustrated by Tomie de Paola.

This has been our lunch-time read-aloud since Advent began. The book stays very close to the movie but does have some slight differences - there is no young Alfred in this book, but Mr. Sawyer is just as rotten!

Reading this book aloud to my 3, 5, and 6 year-olds has helped me understand why I've always loved this story. Kris Kringle explains early on that "Christmas isn't just a day. It's a frame of mind." Towards the end of the book, Doris explains to her daughter that "faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to... Anyone could have faith when everything was fine. But real faith meant believing, rain or shine." These two quotes are a summation of why Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday and why I don't mind my little ones believing in Santa Claus - he's the personification of the magic of the season and the mystery of Incarnate Word!

Reviewed by: 
Mary C. Gildersleeve
First reviewed: 
12-5-05

The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty

Book cover: 'The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty'
Author(s): 
Patricia Rasmussen
Number of pages: 
112 pages
Copyright: 
2003
Publisher: 
Voyageur Press
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
Advent and Christmas Stories
Review: 
Snowflakes tell a different sort of Christmas story - the "story" of God's fingerprints in the snowy landscape of winter. (I don't know how anyone can look at the stars or at a snowflake without being drawn in some way to the Creator). It's appropriate all through the winter, but especially relevant at Christmas.

Of course it is good to study the natural causes of things like snowflakes in order to understand and appreciate them better, and that is what this book is about; lots and lots of beautiful, amazing, magnified photographs of snowflakes (these are simply breathtaking) and an introduction to the science of understanding them.

The text can get fairly technical at times and is most appropriate for high schoolers and adults (although it could certainly be appreciated by younger children - especially as a read-aloud). However the pictures - the numerous full-color pictures - will be appreciated by everyone in the family.

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
11-30-05

The Story of the Other Wise Man

Book cover: 'The Story of the Other Wise Man'
Author(s): 
Henry Van Dyke
Number of pages: 
72 pages
Publisher: 
Lepanto Press
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
Advent and Christmas Stories
Grade / Age level: 
Grades 6-8
High School
Review: 
This is the intriguing and classic story of Artaban, the "other" wise man who searches for Jesus his whole life while "foolishly" spending his treasures - which had been intended as a gift for the newborn king - on the poor and needy. A beautiful and touching story, it is quite short, but the vocabulary is challenging enough to be appropriate for upper grade school or high school.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
4-26-01

The Trees Kneel At Christmas

Book cover: The Trees Kneel at Christmas
Author(s): 
Maud Hart Lovelace
Illustrator(s): 
Marie-Claude Monchaux
Number of pages: 
112 pages
Copyright: 
1951
ISBN: 
9781562399993
Publisher: 
ABDO & Daughters Publishing
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Advent and Christmas Stories
Christmas
Fiction
Review: 

Maud Hart Lovelace is famous for her Betsy-Tacy series of chapter books. The Trees Kneel At Christmas is a delightful story of two Lebanese-American children in 1951 Brooklyn. Their grandmother tells them how the trees kneel on Christmas in their homeland of Lebanon, but in their new home of Brooklyn the people do not have enough faith for the trees to kneel.

However, the children do have faith and they set out to prove that the trees do in fact kneel down in honor of our Lord's birth in Brooklyn. When the adults leave for Midnight Mass, the children sneak away to the park so that they can witness the trees at midnight.

This is a story about having the faith of a child, the kind of faith that Jesus calls us all to hold.

Reviewed by: 
Maureen Wittmann
First reviewed: 
12-11-2005

Advent-Related Links

"Best Advent Ever" from Dynamic Catholic. Sign up to get daily emails with brief spiritual reflections, videos, etc. Only takes a few minutes a day, but really helps get into the spirit of Advent preparation.

Professor Carol's Advent Calendar. Music, poetry, art, and historical reflections. Sign up for delivery by email or read online at her blog. Carol often has great insights into the traditions associated with Advent.

The Pray More Advent Retreat from PrayMoreNovenas.com. Changes seasonally, so it's also the link for their Lenten retreat.

Advent: Around the Year with the Trapp Family

Did you know that the real Von Trapp family (made famous in the movie Sound of Music) were particularly fond of celebrating the Liturgical Year and in fact wrote a book about it? This is the Advent portion.

Advent Reading List from 4 Real Learning

Christmas Carol Unit Study with Picture Books

In finding out more about the carols I looked for resources that told the history of the carols as well as ones that brought the carol’s lyrics to life for my children in picture books. I am looking for a local copy of the out of print book, Christ and the Carols by William Reynolds in hopes of supplementing information from the Collins books and the internet.

To share this fun topic with my family, particularly the younger children, we have embarked on a study of carols. We are hoping to not only enjoy the joyous music during these 12 days of Christmas, but to learn more about the songs and their history and the musicians behind them while enjoying some lovely picture books each day.

Family Advent Customs by Helen McLoughlin

Marian Songs for Advent

O Night Divine: A Blog Dedicated to the Celebration of Christmas

 

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