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Robin Finds Christmas
Robin Finds Christmas
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
26 people want to read
About the author
Molly Brett
45 books11 followersMolly (Mary Elizabeth) Brett was an English illustrator and children's author. She grew up in Surrey, Great Britain, [Croydon Registration District] surrounded by animals and nature.
Her mother, Mary Gould Brett, was a respected animal painter who encouraged her daughter to paint from life, and this is reflected in Molly's gift for making her animals look thoroughly naturalistic while giving them human characteristics and activities.
Molly began her art training with a correspondence course in illustration, followed by formal instruction at Press Art School and the Guildford Art School. It was at Guildford that she met Margaret Tarrant (also destined to attain substantial fame as an illustrator), who soon became a close friend and lived with her in Cornwall.
She began her career by illustrating weekly papers for children. One of her earliest commissions was to illustrate stories by Enid Blyton.
Inspired by this, she went on to write and illustrate 21 books of her own for the Medici Society of London, with whom she was associated for 60 years. Medici has published over 500 of her paintings as postcards, greeting cards and prints.
Molly Brett's work has enchanted generations of children with its beautifully drawn details, subtle colours and magical atmosphere. Her work follows in the tradition of other twentieth-century "dressed animal" illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Margaret Tempest, Racey Helps, and others.
Footnote: The actual date of Molly Brett's death is uncertain but she died in the second quarter of 1990 so April 1 has been included for completeness.
Her mother, Mary Gould Brett, was a respected animal painter who encouraged her daughter to paint from life, and this is reflected in Molly's gift for making her animals look thoroughly naturalistic while giving them human characteristics and activities.
Molly began her art training with a correspondence course in illustration, followed by formal instruction at Press Art School and the Guildford Art School. It was at Guildford that she met Margaret Tarrant (also destined to attain substantial fame as an illustrator), who soon became a close friend and lived with her in Cornwall.
She began her career by illustrating weekly papers for children. One of her earliest commissions was to illustrate stories by Enid Blyton.
Inspired by this, she went on to write and illustrate 21 books of her own for the Medici Society of London, with whom she was associated for 60 years. Medici has published over 500 of her paintings as postcards, greeting cards and prints.
Molly Brett's work has enchanted generations of children with its beautifully drawn details, subtle colours and magical atmosphere. Her work follows in the tradition of other twentieth-century "dressed animal" illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Margaret Tempest, Racey Helps, and others.
Footnote: The actual date of Molly Brett's death is uncertain but she died in the second quarter of 1990 so April 1 has been included for completeness.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 20, 2016
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I feel like it.
A robin's fir tree is stolen from the forest while he's away. The rabbit heard the people who took it saying the tree was "for Christmas," and the robin is determined to find this Christmas dude, and give him the what-fer. On the way he learns about different aspects of Christmas, and finally finds out about Jesus' birth when he finds his tree in a church. .
It's a cute story geared toward children that shows different parts of Christmas: the commercial side, the Santa side, and Jesus' part in it. It doesn't preach that any one part is better than the other, and is quite fair about the whole thing which is a relief. There's absolutely no negativity to be found here except for in the beginning when the robin is indignant that his home has been kidnapped, and really, I think that's quite fair. How would you feel if someone snatched up your house, and ran off with it?
I also liked the pictures. All the way around this book is tastefully done... And we can't have only class in this review, so here's something related to another Robin and Christmas that has nothing at all to do with this book. You know, just to keep things proper here. I have a reputation to uphold to my two or three fans if they're still here.
Robin probably wishes Christmas had stayed lost to him.
And since we're slapping people, here's one more for good measure even though it has even less to do with this book than the other pictures. Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands.
It doesn't seem like a slap should be a solo activity, but it's Christmas, and I'm going to talk miracles here.
"There are people who are having trouble making their miracle happen; there are people who don't have enough to eat, there are people who are cold, you can go out and say hello to these people. You can take an old blanket out of the closet and go to them and say 'Here!', you can make them a sandwich and say 'oh by the way, here!'"
Ok... so we're back to slapping people again.
Sometimes you have to slap them in the face.
Fine. Anyway, make your sandwich and feeeeeed theeeee woooorrrrld; let them know it's Christmastime. Do it Jesus style with just the one sandwich. Such a miracle can happen. You just have to believe. I get it now! Then if you GIVE, then it can happen, then the miracle can happen to you! It's not just the poor and the hungry, it's everybody's who's GOT to have this miracle! And it can happen tonight for all of you. If you believe in this spirit thing, the miracle will happen and then you'll want it to happen again tomorrow. You won't be one of these bastards who says 'Christmas is once a year and it's a fraud', it's NOT! It can happen every day, you've just got to want that feeling. And if you like it and you want it, you'll get greedy for it! You'll want it every day of your life and it can happen to you. I believe in it now! I believe it's going to happen to me now! I'm ready for it! And it's great! It's a good feeling, it's really better than I've felt in a long time. I, I, I'm ready. Have a Merry Christmas, everybody.
And once again I've gone quite far away from the actual book under discussion. Looks like the only thing related to it still is Christmas. At least there's that much... Damn stream of consciousness.
Anyway, I recommend this book for kids and parents of kids if you don't mind the religious connections. If such things upset you, then pass this one by.
Merry Christmas, everybody, and God bless us, everyone!
A robin's fir tree is stolen from the forest while he's away. The rabbit heard the people who took it saying the tree was "for Christmas," and the robin is determined to find this Christmas dude, and give him the what-fer. On the way he learns about different aspects of Christmas, and finally finds out about Jesus' birth when he finds his tree in a church. .
It's a cute story geared toward children that shows different parts of Christmas: the commercial side, the Santa side, and Jesus' part in it. It doesn't preach that any one part is better than the other, and is quite fair about the whole thing which is a relief. There's absolutely no negativity to be found here except for in the beginning when the robin is indignant that his home has been kidnapped, and really, I think that's quite fair. How would you feel if someone snatched up your house, and ran off with it?
I also liked the pictures. All the way around this book is tastefully done... And we can't have only class in this review, so here's something related to another Robin and Christmas that has nothing at all to do with this book. You know, just to keep things proper here. I have a reputation to uphold to my two or three fans if they're still here.
Robin probably wishes Christmas had stayed lost to him.
And since we're slapping people, here's one more for good measure even though it has even less to do with this book than the other pictures. Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands.
It doesn't seem like a slap should be a solo activity, but it's Christmas, and I'm going to talk miracles here.
"There are people who are having trouble making their miracle happen; there are people who don't have enough to eat, there are people who are cold, you can go out and say hello to these people. You can take an old blanket out of the closet and go to them and say 'Here!', you can make them a sandwich and say 'oh by the way, here!'"
Ok... so we're back to slapping people again.
Sometimes you have to slap them in the face.
Fine. Anyway, make your sandwich and feeeeeed theeeee woooorrrrld; let them know it's Christmastime. Do it Jesus style with just the one sandwich. Such a miracle can happen. You just have to believe. I get it now! Then if you GIVE, then it can happen, then the miracle can happen to you! It's not just the poor and the hungry, it's everybody's who's GOT to have this miracle! And it can happen tonight for all of you. If you believe in this spirit thing, the miracle will happen and then you'll want it to happen again tomorrow. You won't be one of these bastards who says 'Christmas is once a year and it's a fraud', it's NOT! It can happen every day, you've just got to want that feeling. And if you like it and you want it, you'll get greedy for it! You'll want it every day of your life and it can happen to you. I believe in it now! I believe it's going to happen to me now! I'm ready for it! And it's great! It's a good feeling, it's really better than I've felt in a long time. I, I, I'm ready. Have a Merry Christmas, everybody.
And once again I've gone quite far away from the actual book under discussion. Looks like the only thing related to it still is Christmas. At least there's that much... Damn stream of consciousness.
Anyway, I recommend this book for kids and parents of kids if you don't mind the religious connections. If such things upset you, then pass this one by.
Merry Christmas, everybody, and God bless us, everyone!
December 14, 2020
Darling little book about a robin who finds his fir tree missing one day and goes on a search for Christmas. Well-written with beautiful illustrations.
Also love the nature lore here, as the descriptions and illustrations of birds are very accurate!
Also love the nature lore here, as the descriptions and illustrations of birds are very accurate!
July 30, 2024
I read this book as a child and still have fond memories of it. The illustrations are beautiful and as a little girl I adored the story of a little robin’s quest to find the true meaning of Christmas.
December 24, 2014
My grandma gave me this book when I was six and I recently rediscovered it in my mother's basement with her Christmas message written inside the cover. This is the first time I've re-read it since I was a child and it brings back happy memories. My grandma loved Christmas so I always think of her at this time of the year. This will be my eighth Christmas without her.
December 18, 2008
A cute story about a Robin whose tree is cut down and he goes in search of it to find it in a church next to a nativity scene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews