it seems like each year at christmas time we find a book that holds our attention. a book that gets read again and again as we wait for the child to be born. and that only leaves the book basket to make way for springtime books. last year it was Night Tree by Eve Bunting. and the year before that it was Julie Vivas’s Nativity. this year’s book is A Christmas Like Helen’s by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock.
even from this small picture you can see the magic of Mary Azarian’s woodcuts. they shine with vibrant, lamp-lit colors. Helen, the author’s grandma, lived in 19th century Vermont. her family worked hard on the farm, told stories of the old country, sang and worshiped together. the family is full of just the right mix of caring and adventure and whimsy. it makes me wish for a christmas like Helen’s!
even though the days are nearly accomplished, it’s still worth the effort to find this book and spend the days of celebration till Epiphany reading and enjoying.
Ours this year was Julie Vivas’s Nativity!! 🙂
Sarah
we gave maisy Nativity this year and read it first thing this morning before stockings. i love how true to scripture it is and love *love* the illustrations. Welcome with love has to be one of my favorite books. i’ll look up a christmas like helen’s.
hooray for Julie Vivas! her work is a treasure, and her families, too, have that same mix of caring and whimsy and adventure.
i love the final page where we see Mary on the donkey with Jesus in the Moby wrap!