In the author's note, Tomie de Paola tells how he lives in a New Hampshire town and how New Englanders were not always Christmas-friendly. He researched and imagined how the transformation of these early folk might have been influenced by one family from the Old World who joyfully celebrated with their family traditions.
I love how you get a picture of how a German family might have celebrated Christmas. What wonderful, family-centered activities to build excitement for the Magical Day! Making candles, growing and storing apples, baking cookies, cutting out paper decorations, painting nuts, finding a tree...So many ways for a family to join together to prepare.
I discovered this book at the library this year! This book reminds me of two other books that I will now have to review shortly: The Story of the Von Trapp Family Singers and The Oxcart Man. I love Tomie de Paola's illustrations, too, which reminds me of another Christmas story illustrated by him....
(New York: Holiday House, 1987).
