Christmas is coming to Australia read The Angel with a Mouth-Organ

This book begins in the present (many years after WWII) with a mother and her two children decorating their Christmas tree. "You will tell us the angel story again won't you?' Inside the box the little glass angel with the golden wing shone like a star against the cotton wool."

Their mother then tells the story of World War II when she was a small child:

"Out of the clouds the planes came, with noise like thunder and flashes like lightning. They flew across our village. It became a garden of flame. The houses and haystacks were like poppies, bursting out of their buds into glowing gold and orange. The church spire and the chimneys were like spikes of scarlet salvia."  Note Salvia is a tall red flower which you can see here.

The bombing of their village means the family are now homeless and their father is left injured - he has lost his arm. The family pack their possessions, some food and their grandmother into a cart and set off walking. Father puts his mouth organ into his pocket. 

"We walked and walked and walked. And always the sound of the thunder and the glow and the smell of fire flowers were behind us. We walked until the cow lay down and died... We walked until the baby died ... We walked until our neighbour and our last cheese disappeared one night. ... We walked until the sun grew thin and pale, and we grew thin and pale too."

The roads are full of people walking when the planes arrive and spray their bullets. The family survive but the soldiers take away all the men and boys including father. Eventually the two girls and their mother arrive at a camp. The girls teach the young children their father's songs and the family try to settle in but once again they have to move on. 

"We were moved seven times."

Eventually they are forced to shelter in a small hut and finally the war is over but now comes the waiting. Waiting to be reunited with their father. He does return after a very long wait and he brings with him a glass Christmas ornament - it is the angel - and she is playing a mouth organ. 

I am sharing another very old book today. The setting of this book is Europe after World War II so you might wonder why I am including it as an Australian book. This is because the author and illustrator are from Australia. The illustrations in this book by Astra Lacis are very special. I have talked about Christobel Mattingley previously and her book The Magic Saddle has also featured in my twelve books of Christmas this year. The Angel with a Mouth-Organ is based on true events from Astra's family but sadly the link to this part of the story is no longer active.

The Angel with the Mouth Organ is a longer picture book and will suit an older child around 9+. This book was first published in 1984 (my first year of working in a school library). I am unsure if you will find a copy in a library but you might be lucky and find one in a charity shop. In 1985 The Angel with a Mouth Organ was submitted for our CBCA Picture book awards but no winner was selected that year.  Some very fine books were honoured and short listed including Jeannie Baker's Home in the Sky; The Angel with the Mouth Organ by Christobel Mattingley illustrated by Astra Lacis; Arthur by Amanda Graham illustrated by Donna Gynell; There's a sea in my bedroom by Margaret Wild illustrated by Jane Tanner and one of my all time most favourite books - Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Margaret Wild illustrated by Julie Vivas. 

There are many part of this story which echo the Nativity story so if you can find this book you might also like to read some other versions of the bible story. 

Here are the end papers from The Angel with a Mouth-organ: