Christmas Magic by Margaret Wild illustrated by Craig Smith

 

This is another older Christmas book and it is Australian which is great but sadly it is also out of print. I was amazed to find this book. I had not seen this book from 1992 even though by then I had worked in several school libraries for over eight years.  I found this book in a library a couple of weeks ago. It is by two of our most wonderful book people from here in Australia - Margaret Wild and Craig Smith (Black Dog; My Dog's a Scaredy Cat).

Tom and his family used to live on a farm. I love that Margaret Wild does not tell us why they have moved to a city and now live in the suburbs.  With an older child I think after read the opening scene in this book I might be tempted to grab a copy of Farm Kid by Sherryl Clark.

Tom desperately misses the farm where he lived with mum, dad, sister Jess and baby brother Ben. "He especially misses the animals".

Tom is not enthusiastic about Christmas this year. He doesn't want to decorate the tree or help with the cards or mince pies. His sister suggests they dress up and make a nativity. Baby Ben can sit in his pram and take the part of the baby Jesus. But the Nativity story involves animals and Tom just cannot see how they can make a Nativity without cows and horses and sheep and pigs and ducks. Tom's dog, named Dog, tries to help but he is only one dog.

Late that night, on Christmas Eve, Tom and his friend Dog sit beside the window. It is midnight and Tom knows magic can happen at Christmas so he makes a wish. They look outside again and something wonderful happens. The grass grows long and they hear sounds - moo, neigh, baa, oink, quack and cluck. It is a night filled with magic. Tom gathers his sister and brother and the children all sit together on the window ledge. Outside they see the Nativity just as it should be with animals, Mary, Joseph, the baby and the wise me too. You can see this scene on the book cover.  On Christmas Day Tom tells his parents about the magic he and his siblings witnessed last night. Mum and Dad don't believe any of the story but Tom has something wonderful in his pocket (rather like the bell that Harvey Slumfenburger finds in his pocket) - two feathers and a tuft of wool. He plans to keep these forever!