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Silent Night: The Song and Its Story
Tells how the well-known Christmas carol, "Silent Night," first came to be written and performed in Austria in the early 1800s.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 1997
2 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Hodges
72 books54 followersMargaret "Peggy" Hodges was an American writer of books for children.
She was born Sarah Margaret Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur Carlisle and Annie Marie Moore. She enrolled at Tudor Hall, a college preparatory school for girls. A 1932 graduate of Vassar College, she arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband Fletcher Hodges Jr. when in 1937 he became curator at the Stephen Foster Memorial. She trained as a librarian at Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, under Elizabeth Nesbitt, and she volunteered as a storyteller at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 1958 with One Little Drum, she wrote and published more than 40 books.
Her 1985 book Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, won the Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association.
She was a professor of library science at the University of Pittsburgh, where she retired in 1976.
Hodges died of heart disease on December 13, 2005 at her home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. She suffered from Parkinson's disease.
She wrote her stories on a notepad or a typewriter. "I need good ideas, and they don't come out of machines," she once said.
She was born Sarah Margaret Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur Carlisle and Annie Marie Moore. She enrolled at Tudor Hall, a college preparatory school for girls. A 1932 graduate of Vassar College, she arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband Fletcher Hodges Jr. when in 1937 he became curator at the Stephen Foster Memorial. She trained as a librarian at Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, under Elizabeth Nesbitt, and she volunteered as a storyteller at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 1958 with One Little Drum, she wrote and published more than 40 books.
Her 1985 book Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, won the Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association.
She was a professor of library science at the University of Pittsburgh, where she retired in 1976.
Hodges died of heart disease on December 13, 2005 at her home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. She suffered from Parkinson's disease.
She wrote her stories on a notepad or a typewriter. "I need good ideas, and they don't come out of machines," she once said.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 23, 2022
I love this book; the story of the Austrian Silent Night song, originally in German. The images are regal and the story is endearing.
In the spoiler I posted the super easy sheet music, from the last page at the end of the book.
November 17, 2022
This is a phenomenal retelling of how the classic Christmas carol, Silent Night, came to be. Though full of facts, it is masterfully told in story-form. The music and it's lyrics take on strong meaning when you know the history of their creation. I highly recommend reading this book!
Ages: 5 - 12
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
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Ages: 5 - 12
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
January 14, 2020
Author Margaret Hodges and illustrator Tim Ladwig join forces in this picture-book history of one of the world's most beloved Christmas carols. Written by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr on Christmas Eve, 1818, when his church's organ broke down, thereby threatening the music that made such an integral part of their congregation's Christmas Eve mass, the words of the song were paired with a tune composed by church organist Franz Gruber. The origin of the song was forgotten for a time, but it was popularized by an Austrian family who sang it at a fair in Leipzig, leading to its inclusion in a small book entitled Four Songs of the Tyrol... Sung by the Strasser Family of the Ziller Valley. It eventually caught the attention of King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who had it sung every Christmas by his Cathedral Choir, and whose curiosity about its origins led to its true authorship being revealed. It was brought to America by another singing family of the Ziller Valley, and was first translated into English in 1863, by John Freeman Young. It went on to be translated into many languages, to be sung at key moments in various conflicts, including the 1914 Christmas Truce during World War I, and remains a most popular Christmas carol today...
I found Silent Night: The Song and Its Story both informative and moving, and appreciated the history it provided of the carol after it was initially created by Mohr and Gruber. That part of the story - the creation of the song - was the only part I already knew, so the rest of it - how it spread and became popular, how its singing has bridged many divides, even in the midst of war - was new to me. There were moments, during my reading, that I found myself tearing up, particularly when Hodges described how the song was sung across the trenches of World War I, or how a Korean Army unit sang it as they moved along during the Korean War. I do wish that the author had included her sources however, as I cannot find any information on that second anecdote, or on the one set in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp (also during WWI). Given that this is meant to be an informational book, I found the lack of afterword or source notes truly disappointing. Leaving that flaw aside, I did greatly appreciate this one, both for its text and for its gorgeous illustrations. I had encountered Tim Ladwig's work before, in the version of Good King Wenceslas that he illustrated, but it was good to see more of it. With the caveat that they be aware of the lack of back matter, this is one I would recommend to those children interested in the history of Silent Night, or in the history of music transmission in general.
I found Silent Night: The Song and Its Story both informative and moving, and appreciated the history it provided of the carol after it was initially created by Mohr and Gruber. That part of the story - the creation of the song - was the only part I already knew, so the rest of it - how it spread and became popular, how its singing has bridged many divides, even in the midst of war - was new to me. There were moments, during my reading, that I found myself tearing up, particularly when Hodges described how the song was sung across the trenches of World War I, or how a Korean Army unit sang it as they moved along during the Korean War. I do wish that the author had included her sources however, as I cannot find any information on that second anecdote, or on the one set in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp (also during WWI). Given that this is meant to be an informational book, I found the lack of afterword or source notes truly disappointing. Leaving that flaw aside, I did greatly appreciate this one, both for its text and for its gorgeous illustrations. I had encountered Tim Ladwig's work before, in the version of Good King Wenceslas that he illustrated, but it was good to see more of it. With the caveat that they be aware of the lack of back matter, this is one I would recommend to those children interested in the history of Silent Night, or in the history of music transmission in general.
December 6, 2012
A fascinating and very thorough book. It's main section is the story of the origins of the hymn. When that was over I was pleasantly surprised to see that it then detailed what happened next...how it became such a beloved Christmas song around the world. Beautiful illustrations. A recommended read for the holiday season.
December 19, 2016
Though humble in its beginning, the song "Silent Night" has become an inspiration to people all over the world. This book tells how the carol came to be and how it has brought a spirit of love and peace in many circumstances. The illustrations were beautiful, also.
December 17, 2018
Silent Night: The Song and Its Story is a children's picture book written by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Tim Ladwig. It is a book retelling the story about the creation of one of the most popular Christmas carols.
Hodges' text is simplistic, straightforward, and rather poetic. It recounts the creation of Silent Night rather well and how its message of hope and peace influenced many around the world. Ladwig's illustrations are wonderfully drawn and beautifully rendered.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is a story about Joseph Mohr, an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, and Franz Xaver Gruber, a primary school teacher and church organist, combined their talents to create one of the most memorable Christmas carol ever penned.
All in all, Silent Night: The Song and Its Story is a wonderfully Christmas picture book about the creation and legacies of one of the season's popular carols – Silent Night.
Hodges' text is simplistic, straightforward, and rather poetic. It recounts the creation of Silent Night rather well and how its message of hope and peace influenced many around the world. Ladwig's illustrations are wonderfully drawn and beautifully rendered.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is a story about Joseph Mohr, an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, and Franz Xaver Gruber, a primary school teacher and church organist, combined their talents to create one of the most memorable Christmas carol ever penned.
All in all, Silent Night: The Song and Its Story is a wonderfully Christmas picture book about the creation and legacies of one of the season's popular carols – Silent Night.
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September 11, 2019This book is about the production of the famous Christmas song "silent night". It starts will a choir practicing for their Christmas eve service but suddenly, the organ becomes broken. Father Mohr has to make a quick fix and writes a song as simple as the birth of christ is. With his choir and his guitar, Father Mohr played the first "silent night" and it was heard for the first time. The people that attended the service in a little town in Austria loved the song and begged that he would play it for every christmas eve service. Soon the song was making it's way across Europe and the globe. Soldiers were having truces' while singing the song, and people were singing it outside their shops so that people would come in. This is such a sweet Christmas time book that would surely be a hit among students that are interested in music. Super fun for most ages as well!
April 9, 2018
Silent Night tells the story of the writing of "Silent Night." An Austrian church's organ broke and the town though there would be no music for Christmas. The priest of the church surprised everyone by writing a new song. The story then tells of how the song traveled around the world.
I loved this book! I did not know the story behind the song and it was very interesting and included very heart-warming anecdotes.
I would use this when talking about the holiday season in an elementary school.
I loved this book! I did not know the story behind the song and it was very interesting and included very heart-warming anecdotes.
I would use this when talking about the holiday season in an elementary school.
December 1, 2021
Library find. Loved this. There's just something about the story of a broken organ, a simple guitar, and an Austrian village. The beautiful illustrations are worthy of the story.
Interesting to contrast with the lovely T.C. Christensen movie "Silent Night." (I'm gonna guess it was really a children's choir rather than the movie's touching assemblage of town drunks.)
As far as my little critic goes, he sat patiently through this, but I don't expect him to ask for it again. He did get a little excited when he realized "those people are real."
Interesting to contrast with the lovely T.C. Christensen movie "Silent Night." (I'm gonna guess it was really a children's choir rather than the movie's touching assemblage of town drunks.)
As far as my little critic goes, he sat patiently through this, but I don't expect him to ask for it again. He did get a little excited when he realized "those people are real."
November 27, 2022
Because this reads like an interesting story, it took several pages for me children to realize that it was a true one, and they enjoyed learning the history of this beloved Christmas song. It did make me wish it came with a CD full of different versions of it - 2 men with a guitar and a boys choir joining in on the last two lines, a quartet of siblings, and an old church full of singing congregants could make up the playlist, just as described in the book.
December 1, 2020
The historical story of a beautiful song is perfectly captured and shared through this wonderful children's picture book. Anyone who loves Christmas and the power of this song should read this story. I thought the war stories of this song inspiring peace and humanity across nationalities and disagreements was a great way to close the book as well.
December 15, 2018
A nice history of how Silent Night came to be. I love how it traces the origins and moves through the transitions through various families and towns. I love how it gave concrete examples of how it has made a difference through various countries and cultures.
December 10, 2022
Like the "Luther" kids book that tells an excellent and condensed version of the reformer's life, this book keeps our kids coming back time and again to hear a not-so-short-story account of how this beloved song came to be. It was great!
October 10, 2018
A lovely illustrated story about the origin and spread of the carol Silent Night. Includes the music in the back.
August 2, 2019
#cbad 2018-2019 - 5th grade SCA - 12/18/18 - average rating 4.7
May 16, 2021
I love this song and the illustrations are beautiful. This book is on the longer side for a picture book, but would be great for an older child.
December 8, 2021
Fascinating story of the origin and spread of “silent night “
January 24, 2023
I had no idea the history of this song. Beautifully illustrated and told.
May 2, 2023
Let Us Wait for Light & Miracles
July 10, 2023
The story of the Christmas song "Silent Night"
April 19, 2025
A picture book telling the story behind the Christmas carol "Silent Night." A lovely story with beautiful illustrations.
January 9, 2017
Loved this book! Made me cry.
February 20, 2017
Beautiful story with incredible illustrations. This book is about the song Silent Night and how it came to be. It all started one night in a small church when the organ went out. A man by the name of Joseph Mohr wrote the beautiful lyrics and had a man named Franz Gruber write the accompanying sound. Over the years the song was distributed through different villages and sang during Christmas time. The man who wrote it never even knew how known it had become. This book can be incorporated in the class as a story too read during Christmas time.
January 6, 2016
I found this book quite accidentally on display at work the other day and sat down to read it today. A stunning picture book about the origin of the beloved Christmas carol Stille Nacht, or "Silent Night," in the hills of Oberndorf, Austria. The book also illustrates how the song was spread and translated across the world, and shared even in the midst of war.
I've never seen a picture book that captures the original story before, but it's a beautiful story and the accompanying illustrations are very pretty. It was originally published in 1997 so unfortunately, it's also out of print, and probably becoming scarce even at libraries (the one I found is the only copy in my library system). But if you enjoy religious Christmas stories, this is definitely a book to try to get your hands on and share at least once.
I've never seen a picture book that captures the original story before, but it's a beautiful story and the accompanying illustrations are very pretty. It was originally published in 1997 so unfortunately, it's also out of print, and probably becoming scarce even at libraries (the one I found is the only copy in my library system). But if you enjoy religious Christmas stories, this is definitely a book to try to get your hands on and share at least once.
December 28, 2014
This is a wonderful story that explains the origins of the classic Christmas song "Silent Night." The story is interesting and we all learned a lot about the way this song became a Christmas favorite throughout the world.
The illustrations are terrific and complement the story nicely. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we've read it a couple of times.
The illustrations are terrific and complement the story nicely. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we've read it a couple of times.
December 2, 2016
Picked this up at the library and it is a lovely story about the origins of the carol. I should note that it is a bit long/dense to read out loud if your throat is dry and tired. :) It got distracting because it talked about soldiers and prisoners of war singing the song and JP had questions about all of that business that sort of derailed the end of the book. But a good story, nonetheless.
November 29, 2008
Sweetly told story of the origins of the carol "Silent Night."
December 29, 2015
I didn't know that Silent Night was a song.
December 17, 2015
Read it to my 5 year old. I probably should have spread it over 2 nights, as she was interested at first but trailed off a bit mid way through. Still, a nice children's book.
January 9, 2017
A more complete history of this hymn than other picture books--longer, but worthwhile.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews