A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith

Today is Christmas day.  I recently gifted a copy of this book A Christmas Story to some grandparents. I picked up a copy at a charity book sale for just AUS$1. This morning the delighted grandmother and grandfather took the time to phone me and exclaim with delight telling me how much they loved this book and how perfect it will be for their precious granddaughter.

The traditional Christmas story of Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem and the "people" who also travel along - the wise men, the shepherds, the star and the angels - are all well-known but Brian Wildsmith lifts this story to another level in two ways. Firstly, he makes the story personal for the reader by adding the character of Rebecca who has been asked to care for a baby donkey. She follows Mary and Joseph who are riding the mother donkey and along the way Rebecca asks the various nativity characters for help to find the way. This is such a gentle and as I said, personal way, to retell the story for a young child. Secondly, this book is filled with the most glorious art. I explained to the grandparents that picture books can be a way to give a young child a very special art experience long before you take them to a more formal art gallery. Every child needs to see and experience books illustrated by Brian Wildsmith.

There are huge landscape scenes in this book echoing the enormity of this story and on some pages little Rebecca and her baby donkey are portraited as tiny characters in a corner of the scene and yet somehow, they remain the focus of the illustration. Brian Wildsmith also fills his pages with gold and there are pages that just seem to shimmer and shine.

"Once, a long time ago, in a town called Nazareth, a little donkey was born."

"So the little donkey and Rebecca went on. Suddenly glorious music filled the sky. And then they saw a great star shing down on the little town of Bethlehem."

Here is a video of the whole book.  This book has been published several times - here are some of the other covers. You could also click on the label Brian Wildsmith at the bottom of this post to read about the exhibition I visited in Barnsley.

Here are two review quotes:

The detail in the pictures means that each turn of the page brings something interesting to talk about. If you are looking for a book to bring more to the Christmas celebration than presents and Santa then A Christmas Story is for you. Enjoy it! - The Bookbag

The beautiful illustrations ... are evocative in a quite different way and they are equally skillful in bringing the story of the birth of Jesus to life. - Julia Eccleshare, The Guardian online

Christmas Books - Twenty-four favourites

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

The Polar Express

The Silver Christmas Tree

Truffle's Christmas

Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present

Wombat Divine

Max's Christmas

A Christmas Tree for Pyn

Ruby the Christmas Donkey

The Christmas Caravan

The Jolly Christmas Postman

A Letter to Father Christmas

Tree of Cranes

Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle

The Angel with a mouth-organ

The Empty Stocking

Toot and Puddle - I'll be home for Christmas

Melrose and Croc

The Last Straw

Jesus Christmas Party

A Small Miracle

Shine

The Story of Holly and Ivy

Christmas in the Trenches

During Christmas, when the air is filled with anticipation, these picture books become little times of pure joy. They capture the essence of the season—the twinkling lights, the nativities, the snowy landscapes—all in a way that resonates with our children.

Ruby the Christmas Donkey by Mirabel Cecil illustrated by Christina Gascoigne

"The little animals were usually fast asleep now, but they could not rest while their old friend Ruby was so unhappy. They decided that since she could not make a warm winter coat for herself, they would make one for her."

This is a deeply poignant story about an old donkey who spends her summers giving rides to children at the beach but now it is winter. It is bitterly cold and usually Ruby and the other donkey named Scarlett are able to grow a warmer coat as they spend winter in a farm paddock but this year Ruby just feels too old to grow her coat. The wild animals are deeply concerned and so they weave Ruby a beautiful coat from various forest materials.

When the neighborhood children come to select donkey for their Nativity play they see Ruby in her magical coat. She looks perfect for the play and so she is led away to be the star of the show with the promise of a happy but not specified happy ending. 

Ruby's friends think her as precious as the gem she's named after in this deft tale of generosity, compassion and love. An aging donkey no longer able to grow a warm winter coat, Ruby faces her last days in icy misery. But the donkey's woodland pals literally give of themselves to weave Ruby a warm, colorful coat. To boot, her newly stylish appearance earns her a starring role in the Christmas pageant. Chipper animals rendered in soft, earth-toned watercolors, brighten the stark snowy landscape. Publisher's Weekly

Here is the hardcover edition:

This book is from 1980 and so it is long out of print. I picked up a copy at a charity book sale in 2019 for just AUS$1. I have seen a new first edition copy of Ruby the Christmas Donkey is for sale for US$65. I haven't been able to find out very much about the illustrator Christina Gascoigne except that she and Mirabel Cecil were neighbors in Norfolk UK. Mirabel Cecil died aged 80 in 2024.  Here is another of their books: 

Here in Australia it is the end of the school year and many school libraries take the opportunity to 'weed' or cull their book collections. Of course, this is necessary, but I would hope that the staff especially the teacher-librarians involved in this process might take the time to read the picture books they think need culling. A tiny insignificant book like this could easily be culled but that should not happen. This is a sweetly emotional story about kindness, empathy and Christmas with soft colour pencil illustrations. I do hope you can find a copy in your local or school library and while it might be too late this year perhaps you can share it next Christmas.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas illustrated by Matt Tavares

I picked this book up at a recent charity book sale. I only paid $1 but this book now retails for over AUS$43. I have seen many editions of The Night Before Christmas which is attributed to Clement Moore but this one caught my eye because as the Kirkus review says:

Tavares provides monochromatic pencil illustrations with old-fashioned details and a period setting complementary with the poem’s original period, but his sophisticated perspectives and cinematic lighting pull the whole into the modern era. ... The moody illustrations suggest the drama and excitement of the magical night in an unusual way.

Here is the newer edition:

Read more here on Matt Tavares web page

I previously talked about this book by illustrated by Matt Tavares:

Dasher

Books written and illustrated by Matt Tavares

Zachary's Ball, Candlewick, 2000

Oliver's Game, Candlewick, 2004

Mudball, Candlewick, 2005

Henry Aaron's Dream, Candlewick, 2010

There Goes Ted Williams, Candlewick, 2012

Becoming Babe Ruth, Candlewick, 2013

Growing Up Pedro, Candlewick, 2015

Crossing Niagara, Candlewick, 2016

Red & Lulu, Candlewick, 2017

Dasher, Candlewick, 2019

Hoops, Candlewick, 2023

Dasher Can't Wait For Christmas, Candlewick, 2023

Books illustrated by Matt Tavares

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Anonymous, Candlewick 2002

Jack and the Beanstalk, E. Nesbit, Candlewick, 2006

Iron Hans, retold by Stephen Mitchell, Candlewick, 2007

Lady Liberty: A Biography, Doreen Rappaport, Candlewick, 2008

The Gingerbread Pirates, Kristin Kladstrup, Candlewick, 2009

Jack's Path of Courage, Doreen Rappaport, Disney, 2010

Over the River and Through the Wood, L. Maria Child, Candlewick, 2011

Helen's Big World, Doreen Rappaport, Disney, 2012

Jubilee!, Alicia Potter, Candlewick, 2014

Lighter Than Air, Candlewick, 2017

A Ben of All Trades, Michael J. Rosen, Candlewick, 2020

Twenty-One Steps, Jeff Gottesfeld, Candlewick, 2021

The Shape of Things, Dean Robbins, Knopf, 2024

My true love gave to me illustrated by Scott McKowen

This small velvet covered book caught my eye at a recent charity book sale. The title is a little misleading - the real title is My true love gave to me: Twelve Days of Christmas. I have already talked about a number of versions of this famous song.

Book seller blurb: From a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming, a beautifully illustrated celebration of the most festive time of the year. One of the most popular holiday songs of all time, The Twelve Days of Christmas probably originated in France during the late Middle Ages and became popular in England as a chant sung without music. The 12 days are traditionally those following Christmas, with the last day being the end of the season. Over the years the lyrics have changed but the song remains a perennial favourite, recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Alvin and the Chipmunks. My True Love Gave to Me is an exquisitely illustrated edition of the song's famous lyrics, featuring the art of Scott McKowen, an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer. Each day is accompanied by a richly detailed-and often whimsical-full-page scratchboard illustration of its grand and unusual gift. Populated by a partridge, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, golden rings, geese, swans, maids a-milking, ladies dancing, lords a-leaping, pipers piping and drummers drumming ...

You already know the words but here is some of the scrumptious art. This book was published in 2014 but it is still available. [9781770852310]

Five Gold Rings

Nine Ladies Dancing

Eleven Pipers Piping

One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson illustrated by Jonathan Bean

This book has a minimal text perfect for sharing with a young child, but the standout features are the wonderful illustrations which I am sure are quite different from other Christmas books you might be sharing this season. 

The text has two parts - it reads like a conversation: One starry night a sheep watched over her lamb, a cow watched over her calf, a nanny goat watched over her kid, a pig watched over her piglet, a cat watched over her kitten, a dog watched over her pup, a donkey watched over her foal, a dove watched over her doveling. 

"On this starry night Mary and Joseph watched over their newborn babe and the world was filled with love."

On each page there is text in an italics font: I am here always near never far wherever you are caring for you whatever you do day and night my love is bright beloved one God's will be done Amen

This year for my Christmas posts I am focusing on older books (all of which are sure to be out of print sadly). Hopefully one or two might be in your local or school library.

Bookseller blurb: One starry night, a cow watches over her calf, a nanny goat watches over her kid, and a pig watches over her piglet. For this one moment, every family in the animal kingdom is peaceful, just like Mary and Joseph watching over their own newborn nearby. This simple yet profound book perfectly captures the universal nighttime vigil of parents everywhere while gently alluding to the presence of a nurturing creator who watches overall. Lauren Thompson is at her lyrical best, while Jonathan Bean's gorgeous, artisanal illustrations are the perfect match for this beautifully serene story of a truly Peaceable Kingdom.

“This arresting story of the first Christmas has a succinct, powerful, rhyming text and striking illustrations unlike any other version of the Nativity story, with art and words perfectly matched in an artistic tour de force. This unforgettable interpretation stands out as a bright, multifaceted star in the crowded constellation of Christmas Eve stories.” –Kirkus reviews (starred)

“This tender, poetic retelling of the age-old story takes the form of a whispered prayer as it highlights the nurturing given to babies of many species. The art and the words strike just the right tone of reverence and delight. A lovely offering.” —School Library Journal (starred)

"In Thompson’s poetic, reverent text, two voices tell of the night Jesus was born. This peaceful ode to parental love is just right for bedtime reading. Bean’s digitally colored pencil illustrations portray the calm nighttime scenes in black, beige, dark gray-blue, and a sprinkling of white. The gentle words are beautifully matched by the strikingly composed art; both are infused with meaning and are powerful in their simplicity." --The Horn Book

Here is another book by Lauren Thompson with art by Jonathan Bean

I also adored this book by Lauren Thompson:

Polar Bear Night

The Nutcracker Picture Books

Susan Jeffers

Someone asked in a children's book Facebook group for suggestions of books that tell the story of The Nutcracker Ballet. You can read the plot here.  I borrowed a few from a school library. Many of them didn't appeal to me but I do like the work of Jane Ray and Susan Jeffers. Then I did a little digging and found some other gorgeous versions. I won't retell the story here but of course these picture books are all abridged versions of the original novella by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Here are some book covers and you are sure to recognise some of these very famous illustrators.

Lisbeth Zwerger

Jan Brett

Maurice Sendak

Jane Ray

Robert Ingpen

Mary Engelbreit

Roberto Innocenti

Ritva Voutila

Ian Beck