Book of the Week

Before the Christmas season is completely behind us once again, I have two more holiday book picks, Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant, and Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett.

Silver Packages is the type of story that may very well appeal more to adults that to children. My mother in-law gave it to us years ago, and it has been one of my holiday favorites ever since. It tells the story of Appalachian boy who hopes each Christmas for a doctor's kit. Too poor to get any presents at home, he waits for the Christmas train. Each year he receives something practical like warm socks or mittens, along with a small toy. The doctor's kit never arrives, but the necessities he receives, along with the love and hope shared by the generous stranger on the train, inspire him to fulfill his dream in another way. Like the Giving Tree and Love you Forever, this story tugs at my hearstrings. I often find myself having to pause towards the end of the story to stifle a tear and clear my throat. The kids enjoy the warm story without grasping the deeper messages, but I am confident that they will return to the familiar book years from now, and feel the same tugging that I feel now.

Gingerbread Baby is Mattie's favorite Christmas book this year. We have read it to him at least 25 times in the last month. This is a variation of the traditional gingerbread man story, where the baker opens the oven too early, unleashing a lively gingerbread man who runs away. In this version, a young boy named Matti makes the cookie. In its unique ending, he manages to catch the gingerbread baby himself. The story is cute, and will certainly appeal to young readers, but my favorite part of the story are the illustrations. Each page contains several different layers of drawings from the main image in the center, to border images, and small glimpses in the margins into what Matti is busy doing at home to catch the gingerbread baby while he is outside running all around town. Like Silver Packages, there is a more sophisticated layer to the story, which is added by the images in the margin. They also makes the repeated retelling of this story more appealing to kids, as it is hard to take it all in the first time around.

Enjoy, Merry Christmas one last time, and Happy New Year!