DEBORAH CROMBIE: One of my favorite traditions of the holidays is getting out my well-loved Christmas books. Some of them are quite bedraggled! Look at this much-patched copy of Clement C. Moore's THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Other than the dust jacket, the book is in beautiful condition.
And the book plate, with my maiden name in my still loopy schoolgirl handwriting!
Or how about A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1961 edition, illustrated by Ronald Searle? This one is stamped inside with my parents' name and address.
And this is a replacement copy of my decades old paperback copy of Dylan Thomas's A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES, illustrated with woodcuts by Ellen Raskin. I still have the tattered original, and I have different, newer editions, but none of them have quite the same charm.
But most treasured of all is my copy of the Christmas story published in 1973 by my late uncle, A.C. Greene, A CHRISTMAS TREE, illustrated by the painter Ancel E. Nunn, who was his great friend. It's about his childhood Christmases in west Texas, and one particular year when the Christmas tree didn't quite fit. If ever you can find a copy, snap it up!
Unfortunately, the book was at one time shelved on a lower shelf in one of our bookcases and some puppy or other, I don't remember which one was the culprit, chewed a corner quite thoroughly.
Now the book is kept safely stowed on a top shelf!
All of these have pride of place on our coffee table for the season, just waiting to be read. The only problem is finding the time to sit down and enjoy them!
Dear REDs and readers, do you have treasured Christmas books? And which is your favorite?
Chris Van Allsburg's "The Polar Express" was one of the books the girls wanted to read over and over again . . . .
ReplyDeleteMy favorite to read out loud is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’m not wild about the live action movie but do like the animated version narrated by Boris Karloff
ReplyDeleteThough we occasionally added books, the three mainstays in our family were: THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (the edition with very detailed pen and ink illustrations by Douglas Gorsline), CHRISTMAS IN THE BARN by Margaret Wise Brown (the edition illustrated by Barbara Cooney) which is a retelling of the Christmas story transposed to New England, and NIGHT TREE, a short picture book by Eve Bunting with lovely paintings by Ted Rand, about a family of four going out on a cold Christmas Eve to decorate a tree in the forest for wildlife. Just thinking of them makes me nostalgic. (Selden)
ReplyDeletep.s. If anyone wants to see some of the Ted Rand artwork, scroll to the bottom of this link. https://www.bigskylifebooks.com/products/night-tree-paperback?srsltid=AfmBOoqEfuSyRFl7nUVonCvvkcYQq-pijVfwrZdjAEAzUbQeo8QwF6W-
Interesting - despite being very book-oriented, I don’t have any that I particularly associate with Christmas. I wonder if that is because at Christmas we visited my grandparents, who had cable, which we did not, and my sister and I just wanted to watch MTV and Christmas TV?
ReplyDeleteSide note: we just spent a wonderful 36 hours in Strasbourg visiting the Christmas markets. We saw 7 out of 10 of them and I highly recommend!
DeleteThis sounds so dreamy Lisa! I’m adding to my wish list of places to see one day!
DeleteThat sounds so fabulous, Lisa! I hope you picked up some lovely treasures!
DeleteMy sister and brother-in-law just got home from a Rhine cruise, visiting Christmas markets. She sent me pictures along the way and now I really, really want to go do the same! — Pat S
DeleteI have none, although my evil twin brother Yrrej tells me his favorite is ELEVATOR GIRLS IN BONDAGE. Don't think that one counts, though.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Jerry. I'm glad I put my coffee down before I read that.
DeleteAnd I'm glad I don't have my tea yet!!!!
DeleteMy favorite is Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry. Although I didn’t discover it until my children were small, it was originally published in 1963.
ReplyDeleteI’ve just purchased the 2025 sequel Mr. Willowby’s Head Over Heels Christmas. Here’s a note about it:
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree has been a holiday favorite since 1963. Now, its generations of fans can read a new Mr. Willowby story, thanks to the discovery of a long lost manuscript and sketches by the creator Robert Barry, lovingly brought to life in a thrilling new picture book. An afterword to the book by Robert Barry's son illuminates his father's acclaimed career and provides details about the exciting discovery of this forgotten work.
The new one is charming, but I do like the first one best.
Brenda, I will look for this. It sounds delightful.
DeleteThe only Christmas story we read when I was a child was The Night Before Christmas. The book was thoroughly battered and the binding was loose, but the illustrations were gorgeous. I was mesmerized by the 2 page picture of an enormous moon rising over a snowy landscape with Santa's sleigh flying over. That book and all my picture books probably went to the family cottage when we moved to the suburbs, where a book about Santa wouldn't have been appreciated. But 65 years later, I still am enchanted by the language in that poem.
ReplyDelete(As a child I wondered why the guy was wearing a cap to bed and what exactly was that "sash" that he threw up?)
Judy, I don’t know that I paid attention to the word “sash” when I was a child, but I am surprised that I never noticed that he “threw up”! — Pat S
DeletePat and Judy, my mother loved the Night Before Christmas…read it aloud every Christmas, every night …many times over. For reasons unknown I hated from the very first and, I don’t think my daddy liked it either. His emphasis on “threw up” I can still hear. Elisabeth
DeleteWhat a lot of treasures you have! I just love books with great illustrations, they add so much. My Christmas book that is on the coffee table every year is Christmas at the New Yorker, a collection of stories related to Christmas that they have published over the years. It is particularly special as I bought it during the four years I lived in NYC, a most magical place at Christmas time.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great coffee table book for the Christmas Season!
DeleteI have Christmas at The New Yorker, too!
DeleteI treasure all my hardcover versions of "A Christmas Carol"...my favorite book that I read every Christmas season. One year I purchased a hardcover rendition from Levenger that was a copy of the original 1843 manuscript written by Charles Dickens. Lots of "hen scratching" and editing; it was so interesting to see the author's handwriting! I always display it on a hallway table during the holiday season; Its beautiful holly red cover is such a welcoming sight. Your photo of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" brought on a wave of nostalgia. I remember that cover well and now wonder whatever happened to my original copy of that great piece of prose by Dylan Thomas. It's now on my list of items to purchase. I don't have a separate hardcover for Clement Moore's "The Night Before Christmas" but it is included in a book that I have called "365 Poems For Life". (A poem for every day of the year) I love all your original copies! The fact that they may be tattered, worn or partially consumed by the family dog :-) makes them all that more special and treasured in your memory bank. Happy Holiday Reading!
ReplyDeleteEvelyn, your Levenger edition of Dickens sounds wonderful!! I wonder if they still offer it? I'd love to see Dickens' original manuscript!!
DeleteMy favorite is a book of Christmas/winter stores by Jan Brett, who is a fabulous illustrator. My favorite story is The Mitten. A little boy loses a mitten his grandmother made in the woods. One by one the animals in the woods find it and crawl into it to take a nap, the last one being a bear. A mouse tucks in next to the bear and causes him to sneeze, and all the animals fly out of the mitten. The boy eventually finds his mitten, greatly stretched out of shape.
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds lovely. Another one to search for!
DeleteLove Jan Brett!
DeleteMy response is very similar to Lisa in Nice. Though I have always been a book lover, a cheap Little Golden Book version of The Night Before Christmas is the only Christmas book I have, and though I retain it I don't even have a lot of special memories attached to it. My Christmas attachments are more around movies and TV specials, which would be a whole different blog post.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading (and listening to) ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) but, other than that there were no special Christmas books. My twin and I had a tradition of re-reading The Lord of the Rings over the winter break when we were in high school.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful tradition. I used to reread it every year but haven't done so in a while. I was listening to audio version (narrated by Andy Serkis) but got to the part in The Fellowship of the Ring where they all separate and it was making me sad, so I took a break.
DeleteI may have had that Sendak version of the Nutcracker at some point in my life, but not now. I have a copy of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS with beautiful illustrations. I think I bought it for my kids, but neither of them wanted it/could take it, so it's mine, all mine.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there will be grandkids some day...
I'd love to sit down and read these books with my granddaughter, but they are always so busy at Christmas...
DeleteHow lovely, Debs, that you have so many books from your childhood still. That is very special, and a beautiful tradition.
ReplyDeleteI have the same Sendak version of The Nutcracker, which is so fantastical, and just a bit nightmarish, isn't it? Because my daughters are Robin and Holly, we have a copy of The Christmas Robin and one of The Story of Holly and Ivy. Two Christmas treasuries round out the collection, one of which has an amusing transcript of an "interview" Dylan Thomas did for the BBC in 1945, with a child was asking the questions about Thomas's childhood Christmases. I thought I had a book of the Clement Moore poem, and A Child's Christmas in Wales, but did not see them immediately.
We have always read A Visit From St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve. Zak took over as soon as he could read, and I miss that. We no longer have littles around at Christmas, alas. Maybe I'll read it to Steve this year.
PS "A Visit From St. Nicholas" is the original title of the Clement Moore poem.
DeleteIt sounds like the "interview" version of A Child's Christmas was what was used in the special with Denholm Elliott narrating. So wonderful! And I will ask Wren to read The Night Before Christmas!
DeleteYou have an amazing collection Debbie. I have several of my childhood books but none are Christmas books. I began collecting Christmas/winter themed books as an adult and have a nice bunch of them now. Many are antiques that I have picked up in various shops, some I have ordered. I try to read at least one of my familiar Christmas books every year. And then I try to find a new one that looks promising. If nothing else jumps out at me, I will read Little Women around this time.
ReplyDeleteDeborah or Debs not Debbie.
DeleteI have to run out for a bit this morning, but will be back to respond to everyone's comments!
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate to have signed copies of THE POLAR EXPRESS and JUMANGI by Chris Van Allsburg via a business connection who happened to be married to him!
ReplyDeleteLove reading these! More votes here on POLAR EXPRESS and JUMANGI. Add ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME. Of course, A CHILD'S CHISTMAS IN WALES.
DeleteWe have The Polar Express around somewhere too. Must look for it! Deb
DeleteSorry, Blogger is not letting me sign in on my phone.
DeleteWhat a fabulous collection of Christmas treasures! Like Hallie, I love ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME. Eloise was my north star growing up in New York. Oh, how I envied her. She had the life I dreamed of. Two other favorites are a book called CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK, which makes me homesick, and CAJUN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I happened to buy both this books as an adult, BTW>
ReplyDeleteAlas, I don't have treasured classic books from my childhood; my mother was thorough in giving away books and toys we had outgrown before every move - and, as you may recall, there were plenty of them since we were in the military.
ReplyDeleteMy treasured books are the ones I bought for the kids as they were growing up, I have some beautiful nativity stories, The Polar Express, The Night Before Christmas, etc.
Debs, your maiden name sounds PERFECT for a heroine of one of those 1950s girl's mystery series. They would have a Texas spin, of course: DEBBIE DARDEN AND THE HIDDEN RANCH or DEBBIE DARDEN AND THE RUSTLERS REVENGE.
Ha, Julia! Much better than Little Debbie Cupcake or Debbie Does Dallas, both of which I heard too often.
DeleteYes, I have a corner of a bookshelf dedicated to Christmas...
ReplyDeleteNo Holly for Miss Quinn, by Miss Read is my first up Christmas read every year (yes, done already)
Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies (based on the movie, not the other way round)
A Child's Christmas in Wales, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
Christmas is Together Time, by Charles Schultz (including the line "Christmas is when you hug your little brother," which my little brother (now 67) always likes to remind me)
Several vintage versions of A Christmas Carol
The Night Before Christmas--the Little Golden Book, as others also have. Second generation copy
An Edwardian Christmas by John S. Goodall
Envious Casca, by Georgette Heyer. (Because, after all, this is a blog for crime reader & writers)
I think that's all.
Me again. I forgot...
DeleteStar Over Bethlehem, by Agatha Christie Mallowan
So many great suggestions, Susan. I'm not sure I've read the Mallowan, so am looking it up. Assuming it's memoir?
DeleteThis is reminding me of a book about children in snowy winter making maple sugar candy with maple syrup and snow... Is this ringing a bell to anyone? Seems like it had a Miss Polly in it.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely books, Debs. I don't have much like that - wish I did! I will haul out what I do have, including the Night Before Christmas, because Little Miss Book herself will be here for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteNo little ones, no children's Christmas books. My favorite? Louise Penny's How The Light Gets In, which is set during the Christmas season.
ReplyDeleteOh, I did like that one, too, Flora.
DeleteOur slightly tattered copy of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Arthur Rackham, has a place of honor on our shelf, too. And, THE SHORTEST DAY, by Susan Cooper, beautifully illustrated by Carson Ellis, although not a "Christmas" story, is my go-to book gift for book-loving friends in the cold months.
ReplyDeleteI have read The Shortest Day online, but I have just ordered myself a hardcover copy! Thank you for this!
DeleteI just ordered Christmas Memories by A C Greene. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteMy parents would always read a child’s Christmas in Wales to us, but I really don’t have any memory of it. I adore a Christmas Carol, I have to say I can’t even get through it without sobbing. (And please please please you all, do not miss the movie The Man who invented Christmas— About how Dickens wrote a Christmas Carol. It is transporting! Life-changing! And the perfect writers movie. I know we will talk about Christmas movies another time, and I will mention it again then! )
ReplyDeleteHank, I meant to watch that movie last year. This year I am determined. And if you've never managed to read A Child's Christmas in Wales, you can watch the lovely TV version on Amazon and I think Apple. Highly recommended. https://www.amazon.com/Childs-Christmas-Wales-Denholm-Elliott/dp/B000TLOJ52#:~:text=Amazon.com:%20A%20Child's%20Christmas,NR
DeleteAnd oh, Debs, those books are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteA Christmas Tree looks like something my Mom would have enjoyed. She grew up in west Texas. Our favorite book of the season is Cajun Night Before Christmas. Great illustrations with Santa in a pirogue pulled by alligators. We even have an old 45 with Trosclair narrating it.
ReplyDeleteOne favorite family book tradition didn't begin in childhood, but in 1973, the year I got married. That was the publication date of CAJUN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by "Trosclair" (pseudonym of J.B. Kling Jr.) with illustrations by James Rice. My (Cajun) dad would read it out loud every Christmas Eve before we opened presents, to lots of groans and laughs. It's a humorous Louisiana version of the Clement Moore poem. Dad's no longer with us, but now my 2 great-nephews can enjoy looking at the funny illustrations and reading the story. Here's a text version if anyone's interested: https://www.creativeyouthideas.com/resources/humor/cajun-night-before-christmas/
ReplyDeleteDebs, my dad's the one who also wrote poetry and consulted with your uncle for advice a few times. I will surely look for A.C.'s Christmas book now, thanks! Just sorry we didn't know about it sooner.
DeleteLynn, somehow I didn't know about this book!! It's a combination of A Christmas story and another story, and the illustrations are by my late cousin Geoff Greene!!! Amazon said it was out of stock but available to pre-order for when it was restocked, so I have done so. Thank you, thank you, and Merry Christmas to me! Ancel Nunn was my cousin Geoff's mentor, and many of Geoff's early painting were in Ancel Nunn's style.
DeleteAnd that is so lovely about your dad and the poetry. I wrote poetry in my teens, which I showed to A.C. with some reluctance. But he was always so supportive, as he was later about my novels. What a talented and generous man he was, and such a storyteller.
Oh, Lynn, what a wonderful memory “Trosclair”! Found it while wandering the French Quarter in New Orleans, years ago. Conjuring up some of the illustrations and the wild and magic Christmas in the swap. Thank you. Elisabeth
DeleteI forgot to mention this morning that I had a book from Current, Inc. called A Story A Day Until Christmas for my first born son that was a collection of 24 short stories. I was able to get Volume II and Volume III for subsequent children. When my sister’s daughter came along they didn’t have any of them anymore so we used our favorites from each of the three books to make a special version just for her.
ReplyDeleteThe only Christmas book we have is a nicely illustrated version of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas that we bought when I was pregnant. We read it to our son for a few years, but somehow it never became the tradition we had hoped it would. (My husband has requested a copy of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum so maybe that will become a new tradition.)
ReplyDeleteMany of the children’s books mentioned above are very familiar to me as I read them every year to classes in my library. Eve Bunting’s Night Tree, Jan Brett’s The Mitten (and many others), Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree, Polar Express and, yes, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. (One year I surprised the kids by dressing up in a green Grinch costume to read the story.) One of my favorite authors to read at this time of year was Patricia Polacco. Welcome Comfort is a very sweet story and The Trees of the Dancing Goats is a wonderful story that teaches compassion and appreciation for other cultures’ traditions.
Debs, your copy of A Christmas Tree with illustrations by Ancel E. Nunn is the first time I’ve ever seen the name “Ancel” spelled with a “c” instead of an “s”. That is, the first time I have seen it apart from my father’s name! Thanks for that. It felt like a special Christmas greeting from my dad! — Pat S
Pat, it is unusual. I had to double check to make sure I was spelling it right!
DeleteI think I have to go with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as my favorite Christmas book/story. Clement Moore's A Night Before Christmas is a close second, appealing to the magical excitement of the anticipation of the night before the big event. My most treasured copy of A Christmas Carol is the small leather cover one, which I think is from 1902 (I'll have to check on the date again), and that copy doesn't get read, as it has a bit of damage to it from when my granddaughter looked at it when she was very young. My Night Before Christmas book that is the most special is the one I got as a gift from the photographer who came to our house to take my picture for Christmas (I'll post the pic on my FB page today). One that the kids and I always loved to read was The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (so many of his books I love). From the Jolly Postman books by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg, I love The Jolly Christmas Postman, in which the Jolly Postman distributes holiday greetings from the snail mail of children's book characters we know. There are actual letters to take out of envelopes and read. This one is so great to read and experience with young children. I'm sure I've left favorites out, but these are some I think most anyone will enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI want to add a Hanukkah book that my son Kevin loved as a kid. It's entitled Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, written by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
DeleteKathy, we read some of the Ahlbergs when Kayti was little, but I don't remember The Jolly Postman books. Going to look up! And going to see if I can find my copy of The Polar Express.
DeleteI love this!
ReplyDeleteDebs, I recognize that version of A Child's Christmas in Wales. Is it old enough to have belonged to my parents, or was it once mine? If it was, I don't have it now, sadly.
ReplyDeleteOn Christmas Eve, after my parents, my sister, and I had hung up our stockings (large red-and-white ones that my mother had sewn), she would read the story of Jesus's birth from the gospels of Luke and Matthew aloud. By then, my parents, who'd been raised devout Christians, had rebelled against their upbringing and were no longer religious at all, but they both thought it was very important for us children to know WHY we were celebrating Christmas. Year after year, we heard the same passages from the King James Version of the Bible, and they were very much part of my love of Christmas. So was the story of Scrooge and Bob Cratchit, and so was "Twas the Night before Christmas."
Kim, the copyright on my original pb of A Child's Christmas in Wales is 1954, and I think I've had it since I was a teenager. We read the Bible passages at our house, too, even though my parents weren't particularly religious.
DeleteVery busy day and finally got a chance to read the blog this afternoon. I loved the NBC production of A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES in collaboration with the National Theater of the Deaf and I have a copy of the book. There are too many wonderful Christmas books to list here. My Christmas books include all of the books mentioned by Debs. I’m also planning to read a Christmas mystery novel by Jenn McKinlay and a Christmas mystery by Ellen Byron. I cannot recall who else wrote Christmas mystery books. I still have Rhys’ Christmas mysteries. I have a Christmas mystery by Kate Carlisle. And there are several Christmas Rom com novels by Melanie Jacobson and Courtney Walsh.
ReplyDelete