One of my favorite children's authors is Tomie dePaola, pronounced "DaPowla". He has won many awards for his illustrations and his writing, including the prestigious Caldecott and Newbery awards. Tomie was born in Connecticut, but now resides in New London, New Hampshire. I've had the pleasure of seeing him on various talk shows and he always impresses me as a warm and caring person. It certainly shows in his books.

My son, Ty, will be 5 years old in a few weeks. I've put away christening outfits, cribs, baby swings and so fourth over the years as he turns into a school-age little boy. One baby present that stays out of the attic is this book. Given to us as a Christmas present for a baby who could barely roll over, this is a gift I have cherished over the years. I began by reading this to Ty on Christmas when he was nearly 2 months old and have read it every year since. He is about to be too old to enjoy it, but for now, the tradition remains alive!

The book is beautiful in its simplicity. The text is uncomplicated and easy to follow. Most of the book is simply pointing out objects that gives the reader a chance to explain and to discuss with the child what each object means. On the first page it reads, "This is the wreath that hangs on the door." You could talk about what the wreath looks like on your own door.

The illustrations are typical dePaola style: brightly colored and simply drawn. They are a bit large and exaggerated, and not too detailed so that babies can enjoy them as well as older children. One of the pages says, "this is the candle that lights up the window", and the candle has a bright yellow circle around it that symbolizes its glow. Nothing fancy, but you definitely get the idea the illustrator is trying to convey.

Another thing I like about this Christmas book is that it does address a few religious aspects of the holiday. It has a big picture of Santa Claus on the front, but inside it shows a manger scene on the mantle, an Angel and a star for the top of the tree that opens the floor for a discussion of the spiritual aspects of this holiday. I think this represents so many families, who incorporate the fantasy of Santa Claus with the celebration of the birth of Jesus all in the same season.

Another plus is that this is a board book. It is very durable and shows little wear even in the five years I've had it. It's also larger than most board books I've seen, and perfect for a toddler.

Important Information

Published in 1988

ISBN: 0-399-21591-3

Price: $4.95 USA
$6.50 Canada

Recommended: Yes