Illustrated by Jim LaMarche
A wish made on a paper star one chilly Christmas Eve long ago leads to magical sequence of events, in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
Recalling back to childhood, an aging carpenter tells of how an act of kindness in 1931 inspired him late life to pay that generosity forward.
That year, the carpenter, then a boy named Henry, and his parents were at their lowest. His father had lost his job, and their house had deteriorated into a drafty shack.
It was the Depression and like many families, jobs were sparse and people had to eke out a living however they could.
So the night before Christmas, Henry and his father cut down trees in the woods, then drove an hour to New York City to try to sell them.
Pulling off a city street, they saw a construction crew and asked if they could share their lot to sell the trees.
The crew could see from their worn faces and clothes that Henry and his father were down on their luck, and welcomed them in.
Soon, the workers were also hurrying over to help unload trees, unaware that the next thing they would unload would change Henry's life forever.
At the end of the day, with a good trickle of sales behind them, Henry's father showed his gratitude in the best way he could. He offered the workers their tallest tree to set out on the lot.
Together, Henry and his father, and the crew, cobbled together things to decorate it with, cranberries, empty tin cans and newspaper star that Henry folded.
Before hanging up the star, Henry closed his eyes and made a wish that his family would one day have a warm house to live in.
0 Comments on 2. The Carpenter's Gift as of 1/1/1900
Happy Saturday blogging world! It's snowing and blustery outside, which makes me want to just curl up with books for the entire weekend, disregarding all those chores that need to get done.What are you doing this weekend?
I have three sweet stories for you today! Each touched my heart a bit and hopefully you'll enjoy them just the same. Have a Happy Weekend!
The Best Family in the World by Susana Lopez and illustrator Ulises Wensell
I do love a good adoption story and this one is charming and sweet for sure. Little Carlota is finally being adopted and all she can do is dream about who the best family in the world will be. Will they be pastry chefs? Pirates? Astronauts?
Her new family is none of these things Carlota dreams of, but has their own ways of becoming the best family a girl could ever dream of.
I loved the illustrations in this one, as they accompanied the story well and drew my eye all over the page. It's a very nice choice for children that were adopted when they older, though infant adoptees would certainly enjoy it as well.
The Best Family in the WorldSusana Lopez
28 pages
Picture Book
Kane Miller
9781935279471
January 2010
Review copy received from publisher
Forever Friends by Carin Berger
A heartwarming story of a bird and bunny, destined to be forever friends. They play together in the forest all summer long, until the bird must fly away south for the winter. Bunny is sad and lonely without her friend, but when the snow is thawed by the sun and Spring arrives again, so does Bird and their friendship is able to continue.
A very simple plot, but perfect for your youngest children. Sweet and to-the-point, you don't have to be afraid of distracted kiddos during this one. I am in love with the illustrations! Bold, modern, and very unique, Berger used cut-paper collages from receipts, letters, ticket stubs, and old books. Very cool!
Use this for a bedtime read at home or with toddlers for storytime, encouraging them to make their own collages for their crafts.
It's not being published until March, but it's definitely worth a preorder. I'm pretty excited about sharing this one!
Forever Friends
Carin Berger
40 pages
Picture Book
Greenwillow
9780061915284
March 2010
Review copy received from publisher
Lost and Found: Three Dog Stories by Jim LaMarche
2 Comments on Picture Book Saturday, last added: 2/1/2010
What great looking reads! I love stories of adoption as well.
What beautiful covers and stories! wonderful choices!