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The Birds' Christmas Carol
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36 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1886
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About the author
Kate Douglas Wiggin
395 books164 followersKate Douglas Smith Wiggin
Kate Douglas Wiggin, nee Smith (1856-1923) was an American children's author and educator. She was born in Philadelphia, and was of Welsh descent. She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878 (the "Silver Street Free Kindergarten"). With her sister in the 1880s she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Her best known books are The Story of Pasty (1883), The Birds' Christmas Carol (1886), Polly Oliver's Problem (1893), A Cathedral Courtship (1893), The Village Watchtoer (1896), Marm Lisa (1897) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903).
Kate Douglas Wiggin, nee Smith (1856-1923) was an American children's author and educator. She was born in Philadelphia, and was of Welsh descent. She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878 (the "Silver Street Free Kindergarten"). With her sister in the 1880s she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Her best known books are The Story of Pasty (1883), The Birds' Christmas Carol (1886), Polly Oliver's Problem (1893), A Cathedral Courtship (1893), The Village Watchtoer (1896), Marm Lisa (1897) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
December 22, 2019
I’d like to thank my Goodreads friend Nancy for directing me to this one. What a sweet novella, and a classic, written in 1887. Carol Bird is a sickly eleven-year-old who was born on Christmas Day. She is humbled to share a birthday with Jesus Christ and has a good handle on the true meaning of Christmas. She wants nothing more for Christmas than to do something nice for the nine Ruggles children next store who have very little of their own.
In the world we live in today it is such a pleasure to be able to escape back to the days of old when Christmas was celebrated to honor the true significance of the date. Ms. Wiggin writes with beautiful imagery, substance, and poignancy to craft a magnificent Christmas story.
Recommended for all, including young readers.
In the world we live in today it is such a pleasure to be able to escape back to the days of old when Christmas was celebrated to honor the true significance of the date. Ms. Wiggin writes with beautiful imagery, substance, and poignancy to craft a magnificent Christmas story.
Recommended for all, including young readers.
December 13, 2020
In contemporary literary criticism, much effort has been expended in recovering unjustly-neglected older works by women writers from obscurity. This 1886 novella, however, apparently hasn't been the beneficiary of similar attention. It's the sort of work contemporary establishment critics pride themselves on sneering at and despising, mostly for the same reasons that I solidly like it.
We should note at the outset that this is a very short writing --just 57 pages of actual text, and those are shared with eight well-done black-and-white drawings, two of which occupy a full page. (When I got the book last year, I wasn't aware of this; I bought it at a thrift store in an omnibus edition with its significantly longer --149 pages-- sequel, Polly Oliver's Problem: A Story For Girls, but that fact isn't indicated on the cover.) The titular "Birds" are not feathered avians; the well-to-do Bird family is one of two featured here, the other being the cash-strapped and numerous Ruggles family who are their adjacent neighbors. (That's realistic for the 1880s; in the U.S. of 2020, the "haves" can usually keep the "have-nots" at much more than arms-length away and don't live in any physical proximity to them, but in Wiggin's day much closer domiciles weren't unusual.) This book basically centers around two Christmases, ten years apart. The plot is a very simple and linear one, and the novella is a quick read (I read it easily in two sittings). Our setting is the U.S., but other than that it's never identified any more specifically.
Wiggins was a Realist, writing in Realism's heyday. She did not, however, subscribe to the fallacy that Realism entails a dogmatic absolute rejection of the possibility of human decency. Also, while Realism as a literary school doesn't have as its central goal the expression and evocation of human emotion, it does not follow 18th-century Neoclassicism in disparaging and totally rejecting emotion. Some Realist works can appeal to emotion as much as those of the Romantics do; and this tale is one that frankly does. Indeed, it's purposely crafted to pack an emotional wallop, though that aspect is impossible to discuss further without spoilers. I've recommended it for fans of "inspirational" stories, and it's definitely what's often disparaged as "sentimental;" the sentiments it appeals to are the critically-unpopular ones of compassion, pity and sorrow for somebody besides ourselves, and the attitudes/behavior it openly seeks to inspire are empathy and generosity towards have-nots (a direction in which many "haves" would prefer NOT to be inspired). The author also openly connects her message to the religious significance of Christmas as Jesus' birthday, rather than trying to disconnect it from that element as a great many writers do.
My rating reflects both the tale's positives, and the fact that I think that Wiggin's writing skills and literary vision matured significantly in the 17 years between the writing of this book and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (which got five stars from me). Both of the books that feature Rebecca also benefit greatly from the sense of place with which the author evokes rural Maine (though born in Philadelphia, she had a strong Maine connection); as a Realist, her strongest work was in the Regionalist branch of that tradition. That's necessarily absent here; and while one could validly argue that a sense of place is not necessary to the effect she's crafting in this work, its presence in the later books increased my enjoyment. But while this isn't her masterpiece, I found it definitely a worthy read. (While she clearly depicts the problem of income-based class division, she would doubtless be assailed by some because she doesn't depict any response to it besides private charity, and doesn't advance a coherent program for changing it. However, I would deem that criticism unfair; IMO, it's not a fiction author's responsibility to lay out a "10-point program" for the reconstruction of society. That sort of thing is the function of nonfiction treatises and tracts.)
Finally, a question that might arise (especially given that the sequel is apparently aimed at younger readers) is, is this a children's book? I have no information on Wiggin's own intention there, and the edition of the book I have doesn't present obvious clues. The protagonist and some other characters are children (though other important characters are adults); but neither that nor the presence of illustrations is a conclusive argument. From my own reading, I'd say that while I could have appreciated it as a kid, I think the story and message are more appropriate for adults, and the latter would be more apt to "get" the humor. (Related to this, the 19th-century diction would challenge some modern kids --and adults-- but wasn't a problem for me, nor would be for any other readers of any age who have decent reading skills, and who aren't intimidated by the very idea of older books.)
We should note at the outset that this is a very short writing --just 57 pages of actual text, and those are shared with eight well-done black-and-white drawings, two of which occupy a full page. (When I got the book last year, I wasn't aware of this; I bought it at a thrift store in an omnibus edition with its significantly longer --149 pages-- sequel, Polly Oliver's Problem: A Story For Girls, but that fact isn't indicated on the cover.) The titular "Birds" are not feathered avians; the well-to-do Bird family is one of two featured here, the other being the cash-strapped and numerous Ruggles family who are their adjacent neighbors. (That's realistic for the 1880s; in the U.S. of 2020, the "haves" can usually keep the "have-nots" at much more than arms-length away and don't live in any physical proximity to them, but in Wiggin's day much closer domiciles weren't unusual.) This book basically centers around two Christmases, ten years apart. The plot is a very simple and linear one, and the novella is a quick read (I read it easily in two sittings). Our setting is the U.S., but other than that it's never identified any more specifically.
Wiggins was a Realist, writing in Realism's heyday. She did not, however, subscribe to the fallacy that Realism entails a dogmatic absolute rejection of the possibility of human decency. Also, while Realism as a literary school doesn't have as its central goal the expression and evocation of human emotion, it does not follow 18th-century Neoclassicism in disparaging and totally rejecting emotion. Some Realist works can appeal to emotion as much as those of the Romantics do; and this tale is one that frankly does. Indeed, it's purposely crafted to pack an emotional wallop, though that aspect is impossible to discuss further without spoilers. I've recommended it for fans of "inspirational" stories, and it's definitely what's often disparaged as "sentimental;" the sentiments it appeals to are the critically-unpopular ones of compassion, pity and sorrow for somebody besides ourselves, and the attitudes/behavior it openly seeks to inspire are empathy and generosity towards have-nots (a direction in which many "haves" would prefer NOT to be inspired). The author also openly connects her message to the religious significance of Christmas as Jesus' birthday, rather than trying to disconnect it from that element as a great many writers do.
My rating reflects both the tale's positives, and the fact that I think that Wiggin's writing skills and literary vision matured significantly in the 17 years between the writing of this book and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (which got five stars from me). Both of the books that feature Rebecca also benefit greatly from the sense of place with which the author evokes rural Maine (though born in Philadelphia, she had a strong Maine connection); as a Realist, her strongest work was in the Regionalist branch of that tradition. That's necessarily absent here; and while one could validly argue that a sense of place is not necessary to the effect she's crafting in this work, its presence in the later books increased my enjoyment. But while this isn't her masterpiece, I found it definitely a worthy read. (While she clearly depicts the problem of income-based class division, she would doubtless be assailed by some because she doesn't depict any response to it besides private charity, and doesn't advance a coherent program for changing it. However, I would deem that criticism unfair; IMO, it's not a fiction author's responsibility to lay out a "10-point program" for the reconstruction of society. That sort of thing is the function of nonfiction treatises and tracts.)
Finally, a question that might arise (especially given that the sequel is apparently aimed at younger readers) is, is this a children's book? I have no information on Wiggin's own intention there, and the edition of the book I have doesn't present obvious clues. The protagonist and some other characters are children (though other important characters are adults); but neither that nor the presence of illustrations is a conclusive argument. From my own reading, I'd say that while I could have appreciated it as a kid, I think the story and message are more appropriate for adults, and the latter would be more apt to "get" the humor. (Related to this, the 19th-century diction would challenge some modern kids --and adults-- but wasn't a problem for me, nor would be for any other readers of any age who have decent reading skills, and who aren't intimidated by the very idea of older books.)
November 1, 2019
I read this book every Christmas and this is the edition I own; it was my grandmother's and my mother's before it was mine. This edition has 69 pages, so quick read that never fails to tear me up. It is a sweet, old-fashioned story. They don't write them like this anymore.
December 24, 2019
I have truly and with some major personal effort now twice tried to appreciate (and even enjoy) Kate Douglas Wiggin's 1886 novel The Birds' Christmas Carol (and have always been more than well aware of before even commencing my reads what kind of fiction The Birds' Christmas Carol is supposed to represent). However, and the above all having been said, the entire concept of the "ministering angel" (the fragile and often in fact continuously bedridden girl who although an invalid makes life beautiful, sweet and fulfilling for friends and neighbours before dying in a state of divine grace) is and always has been just a bit too overt and massively heavy-handedly preachy for me.
And while with other message-heavy 19th century children's authors (such as with as Louisa May Alcott, for example), the plot, the characters, the scenarios, the themes presented are more often than not still interesting enough and nuanced enough in and of themselves to at least partially ignore and mitigate the at times heavy moralising, I just am not able to do this at all for The Birds' Christmas Carol (which is actually not a horrible story for its time period, but also just so dated and so chock full of morality and preachiness that I would generally ONLY recommend it to potential readers who are seriously interested in 19th century girls dying young and virtuous type of classic children's fiction on an academic, analytical level). Two stars, but rounded down to but one star, even though I do indeed both understand and yes realise that The Birds' Christmas Carol is a product of its time, and part and parcel of a very specific children's literature type (but I have personally just not at all enjoyed this book, and I in fact do tend to find reading The Birds’ Christmas Carol rather like enduring fingernails being run down a chalkboard).
And while with other message-heavy 19th century children's authors (such as with as Louisa May Alcott, for example), the plot, the characters, the scenarios, the themes presented are more often than not still interesting enough and nuanced enough in and of themselves to at least partially ignore and mitigate the at times heavy moralising, I just am not able to do this at all for The Birds' Christmas Carol (which is actually not a horrible story for its time period, but also just so dated and so chock full of morality and preachiness that I would generally ONLY recommend it to potential readers who are seriously interested in 19th century girls dying young and virtuous type of classic children's fiction on an academic, analytical level). Two stars, but rounded down to but one star, even though I do indeed both understand and yes realise that The Birds' Christmas Carol is a product of its time, and part and parcel of a very specific children's literature type (but I have personally just not at all enjoyed this book, and I in fact do tend to find reading The Birds’ Christmas Carol rather like enduring fingernails being run down a chalkboard).
May 21, 2008
This brings back a treasured memory for me. One Christmas Eve when I could not get to sleep I wandered into another room to find my older sister and mom wrapping Christmas presents. My mom pulled out this book, The Bird's Christmas Carol and we spent the next two hours listening to her read this bittersweet tale. By four a.m. all three of us had dissolved into tears. This book does remind me of a Dickens novel although it does not have any evil characters as is typical of his books. It is utterly sappy and Carol, the title character, is impossibly saint-like but in the wee hours of Christmas morning it makes for a perfect read.
September 6, 2015
They had intended to name the baby Lucy, if it were a girl; but they hadn't expected her on Christmas morning, and a real Christmas baby was not to be lightly named -- the whole family agreed in that.
They were consulting about it in the nursery. Mr. Bird said that he had assisted in naming the three boys, and that he should leave this matter entirely to Mrs. Bird. ...Uncle Jack said that the first girl should always be named for her mother, no matter how hideous the name happened to be.
Surprisingly adorable, considering its subtitle ought to be "A Tale From Preachytown, by Sermon McGodsalot." I had to ding it a star for having a very long section in the middle consisting of nothing but dialogue supposedly representing how thems thar pore peeple tocks in 19th-century New England. (Think Little Women, only scarier. And don't look at me like that -- I love Little Women. But Hannah's dialogue makes me bleed from both eyeballs.)
Spoiler-laden summary:
They were consulting about it in the nursery. Mr. Bird said that he had assisted in naming the three boys, and that he should leave this matter entirely to Mrs. Bird. ...Uncle Jack said that the first girl should always be named for her mother, no matter how hideous the name happened to be.
Surprisingly adorable, considering its subtitle ought to be "A Tale From Preachytown, by Sermon McGodsalot." I had to ding it a star for having a very long section in the middle consisting of nothing but dialogue supposedly representing how thems thar pore peeple tocks in 19th-century New England. (Think Little Women, only scarier. And don't look at me like that -- I love Little Women. But Hannah's dialogue makes me bleed from both eyeballs.)
Spoiler-laden summary:
November 15, 2022
From the same author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, comes this heart-wren.... I mean, heart-warmingly sweet tale!
Carol Bird was born on Christmas Day. Maybe that's why she loves giving and sharing so much. On her eleventh birthday Carol is so sick she has to stay in bed. But she plans a party that makes it the most special Christmas of all.
A sweet, giving, kindhearted tale ... that you might want to have tissues at hand for. It's only sixty-three pages and has illustrations throughout so an ideal read-aloud for the holiday season.
Ages: 6 -12
Cleanliness: Santa Claus is mentioned and the children believe in him. A child lets out a rebellious howl and the mother decides not to hit her on Christmas day. "Land sakes" "goodness knows" "Land o- goodness" "good gracious" "I declare to goodness" are said.
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Carol Bird was born on Christmas Day. Maybe that's why she loves giving and sharing so much. On her eleventh birthday Carol is so sick she has to stay in bed. But she plans a party that makes it the most special Christmas of all.
A sweet, giving, kindhearted tale ... that you might want to have tissues at hand for. It's only sixty-three pages and has illustrations throughout so an ideal read-aloud for the holiday season.
Ages: 6 -12
Cleanliness: Santa Claus is mentioned and the children believe in him. A child lets out a rebellious howl and the mother decides not to hit her on Christmas day. "Land sakes" "goodness knows" "Land o- goodness" "good gracious" "I declare to goodness" are said.
**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!
December 22, 2015
My new favorite Christmas story!! Truly, I'd recommend it to all ages. The story is simple, created for children, but it's one of those tales that any age could be warmed by the morals upheld.
"It was very early Christmas morning, and in the stillness of the dawn, with the soft snow falling on the house-tops, a little child was born in the Bird household...."
Carol Bird is a Christmas child. She grows up, even sickly and bedridden, always honoring Christ on His birthday first, even though it is her birthday as well. This little girl displays so sweetly the true meaning of the holiday, giving as much of herself as she can manage.
Such a bittersweet story, sure to capture the reader's heart.
"The Birds' Christmas Carol" was written in 1886 by American authoress, Kate Douglas Wiggin. This is a tale that has stood the test of time, and is still relevant today.
"It was very early Christmas morning, and in the stillness of the dawn, with the soft snow falling on the house-tops, a little child was born in the Bird household...."
Carol Bird is a Christmas child. She grows up, even sickly and bedridden, always honoring Christ on His birthday first, even though it is her birthday as well. This little girl displays so sweetly the true meaning of the holiday, giving as much of herself as she can manage.
Such a bittersweet story, sure to capture the reader's heart.
"The Birds' Christmas Carol" was written in 1886 by American authoress, Kate Douglas Wiggin. This is a tale that has stood the test of time, and is still relevant today.
November 9, 2019
This Victorian novella was kept from being too sentimental by its sly humor and the presence of the rambunctious Ruggles family. I enjoyed the sweet family relationships. A nice story to read during the Christmas season.
December 9, 2023
One of my all time favorites from childhood
July 16, 2024
5+ stars & 6/10 hearts. This is my favourite Christmas story. It’s short, but oh, so beautiful!! It’s got some hilarious moments (the scene in the Ruggleses kitchen—oh my word!!) and some sad parts (the ending <33) and some beautiful parts (the last chapter ^_^) and it’s just so, so beautiful and Christmassy. I love it so much. <33
A Favourite Quote: “‘Mamma, dear, I do think that we have kept Christ's birthday this time just as He would like it.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Suddenly a sound of music poured out into the bright air and drifted into the chamber. It was the boy choir singing Christmas anthems. Higher and higher rose the clear, fresh voices, full of hope and cheer, as children's voices always are.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘If yer tell me one more thing, I can't set up an' eat,’ said Peter gloomily; ‘I'm so cram full o' manners now I'm ready ter bust, 'thout no dinner at all.’ ...
“‘Well, I'm sorry for yer[,’] rejoined Mrs. Ruggles sarcastically; ‘if the 'mount o' manners yer've got on hand now troubles ye, you're dreadful easy hurt! Now, Sarah Maud, after dinner, about once in so often, you must git up 'n' say, “I guess we'd better be goin';” ‘n' if they say, “Oh, no, set a while longer,” yer can set; but if they don't say nothin' you've got ter get up 'n' go.—Now hev yer got that int' yer head?’ ....
“‘Well,’ answered Sarah Maud mournfully, ‘seems as if this whole dinner-party set right square on top o' me! Mebbe I could manage my own manners, but to manage nine mannerses is worse 'n staying to home!’”
A Favourite Quote: “‘Mamma, dear, I do think that we have kept Christ's birthday this time just as He would like it.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Suddenly a sound of music poured out into the bright air and drifted into the chamber. It was the boy choir singing Christmas anthems. Higher and higher rose the clear, fresh voices, full of hope and cheer, as children's voices always are.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘If yer tell me one more thing, I can't set up an' eat,’ said Peter gloomily; ‘I'm so cram full o' manners now I'm ready ter bust, 'thout no dinner at all.’ ...
“‘Well, I'm sorry for yer[,’] rejoined Mrs. Ruggles sarcastically; ‘if the 'mount o' manners yer've got on hand now troubles ye, you're dreadful easy hurt! Now, Sarah Maud, after dinner, about once in so often, you must git up 'n' say, “I guess we'd better be goin';” ‘n' if they say, “Oh, no, set a while longer,” yer can set; but if they don't say nothin' you've got ter get up 'n' go.—Now hev yer got that int' yer head?’ ....
“‘Well,’ answered Sarah Maud mournfully, ‘seems as if this whole dinner-party set right square on top o' me! Mebbe I could manage my own manners, but to manage nine mannerses is worse 'n staying to home!’”
November 20, 2014
This is one of my favorite books. I can still remember Mrs Lane standing in front of the class at Slauson and reading it so us as eighth graders. She started to cry and handed the book to Sally Gingles to finish the oral reading. As I remember it the girls cried and the boys rolled their eyes. I was amazed that the toughest teacher at Slauson was so sentimental.
By choosing this book, like Mrs Lane, I have ripped off my cynical veil and revealed myself as a schmalzy sentimental weeping old lady.
Trite as it is it has all the elements of a great Christmas story, right down to the plum pudding. The Ruggles in the rear are the pinnacle of this story.
Yes.. I love this story, I will always love this story and I will weep and blubber every time I read it.
By choosing this book, like Mrs Lane, I have ripped off my cynical veil and revealed myself as a schmalzy sentimental weeping old lady.
Trite as it is it has all the elements of a great Christmas story, right down to the plum pudding. The Ruggles in the rear are the pinnacle of this story.
Yes.. I love this story, I will always love this story and I will weep and blubber every time I read it.
December 31, 2023
Oh. My...
This story rocked my soul as few have come close to doing. It's up there among the greatest masterpieces I have read. The heartrending but simple premise drives this book powerfully. The Birds' Christmas Carol belongs on the shelf with the greatest books ever written for young readers.
This story rocked my soul as few have come close to doing. It's up there among the greatest masterpieces I have read. The heartrending but simple premise drives this book powerfully. The Birds' Christmas Carol belongs on the shelf with the greatest books ever written for young readers.
December 28, 2019
“Carol, brothers, carol,
Carol joyfully...”
A baby girl who was to be named Lucy was born on Christmas morning, and that song sung by the boys’ choir that rang out from the nearby church provided the name for the Bird family’s new daughter. She was a sickly child who rarely left her room, but she was a sweet, generous soul.
The Birds’ Christmas Carol is an old-fashioned short story that was first published in 1886. The style and language takes a bit getting used to, but it grew on me quickly, as it’s a quaint, heartwarming story. At age eleven, Carol decides to forego any gifts for herself and instead, she displays an extraordinary understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.
I found myself smiling throughout, especially during the descriptions of the Ruggles children, who have not been blessed with the social standing or material comforts that have been bestowed upon Carol her entire life. Although it is a very simple story, it is one that provides a lasting lesson for us all.
3-1/2 rounded to 4 stars
Carol joyfully...”
A baby girl who was to be named Lucy was born on Christmas morning, and that song sung by the boys’ choir that rang out from the nearby church provided the name for the Bird family’s new daughter. She was a sickly child who rarely left her room, but she was a sweet, generous soul.
The Birds’ Christmas Carol is an old-fashioned short story that was first published in 1886. The style and language takes a bit getting used to, but it grew on me quickly, as it’s a quaint, heartwarming story. At age eleven, Carol decides to forego any gifts for herself and instead, she displays an extraordinary understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.
I found myself smiling throughout, especially during the descriptions of the Ruggles children, who have not been blessed with the social standing or material comforts that have been bestowed upon Carol her entire life. Although it is a very simple story, it is one that provides a lasting lesson for us all.
3-1/2 rounded to 4 stars
October 2, 2010
I'm embarrassed to admit that I keep reading this silly, sweet, sentimental book. Also that I cry over it every damn time. It is a very nice book.
Like many authors of her time, Wiggin makes good use of that familiar trope, Victorian Too Good To Live Syndrome, so useful for reforming the wicked and reuniting the lost. In this case, of course, there are no really wicked people, only some ordinarily naughty little boys and some grownups who need to pay more attention to the poor; no lost people, only an uncle who needs to come home more often. Well, it's a Christmas book.
And no, that's not a spoiler; Wiggin tells you right up front what's gonna happen. What happens in between then and the end is the plot and the good parts.
Go ahead, read it, it's a nice book. You'll like it!
Like many authors of her time, Wiggin makes good use of that familiar trope, Victorian Too Good To Live Syndrome, so useful for reforming the wicked and reuniting the lost. In this case, of course, there are no really wicked people, only some ordinarily naughty little boys and some grownups who need to pay more attention to the poor; no lost people, only an uncle who needs to come home more often. Well, it's a Christmas book.
And no, that's not a spoiler; Wiggin tells you right up front what's gonna happen. What happens in between then and the end is the plot and the good parts.
Go ahead, read it, it's a nice book. You'll like it!
October 27, 2018
This was a short sweet, tender novella. It brought tears to my eyes. Carol was born on Christmas, and brought joy to all around her. She became ill, and was bed ridden, but she shared all she had with others. There was a large family with nine children, living behind her families large home. Carol read books to them, and she shared her hundreds of books. She invited the nine children to her home for a Christmas dinner, and bought presents for each of them, with money she had earned, and her family added to it.
January 12, 2020
The Birds' Christmas Carol is a novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin printed privately in 1886 and published in 1888, I'm not entirely sure what that means, but that's what it says. It had illustrations originally, but my copy didn't which makes me mad. A little. This is one of those puzzling things I've learned about the author:
Kate Douglas Wiggin was an American educator and author of children's stories, most notably the classic children's novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878 (the Silver Street Free Kindergarten). With her sister during the 1880s, she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Kate Wiggin devoted her adult life to the welfare of children in an era when children were commonly thought of as cheap labor.
Wiggin went to California to study kindergarten methods.
Now, how did she go to California to study kindergarten methods if she started the first kindergarten in San Francisco? Maybe it was the first free kindergarten she started and the rest cost something,or maybe California has them, but San Francisco itself doesn't, I don't know. At any rate she seemed to love kindergartens because her and her sister were instrumental in the establishment of over 60 kindergartens for the poor in San Francisco and Oakland. There must have been an awful lot of children in San Francisco and Oakland. In between all the kindergarten work she wrote books, some of them children's books, some of them for adults. The one I just read is The Birds' Christmas Carol, whether it's a child's book or an adult's book I have no idea, it seems a little depressing for kids. The book isn't about birds, you know the kind that have feathers and fly around, it's about a family with the last name of Bird. Mostly it's a book about one girl, Carol Bird. The book begins on Christmas day:
"It was very early Christmas morning, and in the stillness of the dawn, with the soft snow falling on the house-tops, a little child was born in the Bird household.
They had intended to name the baby Lucy, if it were a girl; but they had not expected her on Christmas morning, and a real Christmas baby was not to be lightly named—the whole family agreed in that."
No, it had to be a special name for a special day. It had to be settled early in the day because Mrs. Bird never allowed her babies to go over night unnamed. We're told she would have blushed at such a thing, and that to let blessed babies go about without names for months was enough to ruin them for life. I don't know why anyone wouldn't name their baby for months, but I also don't know why this would ruin their life either. So the entire family was trying to think of the perfect name for the new baby, the first girl. And then this happens:
Meanwhile dear Mrs. Bird lay in her room, weak, but safe and happy, with her sweet girl baby by her side and the heaven of motherhood opening again before her. Nurse was making gruel in the kitchen, and the room was dim and quiet. There was a cheerful open fire in the grate, but though the shutters were closed, the side windows that looked out on the Church of Our Saviour, next door, were a little open.
Suddenly a sound of music poured out into the bright air and drifted into the chamber. It was the boy choir singing Christmas anthems. Higher and higher rose the clear, fresh voices, full of hope and cheer, as children's voices always are. Fuller and fuller grew the burst of melody as one glad strain fell upon another in joyful harmony:—
"Carol, brothers, carol,
Carol joyfully,
Carol the good tidings,
Carol merrily!
And pray a gladsome Christmas
For all your fellow-men:
Carol, brothers, carol,
Christmas Day again."
One verse followed another, always with the same sweet refrain:—
"And pray a gladsome Christmas
For all your fellow-men:
Carol, brothers, carol,
Christmas Day again."
Mrs. Bird thought, as the music floated in upon her gentle sleep, that she had slipped into heaven with her new baby, and that the angels were bidding them welcome. But the tiny bundle by her side stirred a little, and though it was scarcely more than the ruffling of a feather, she awoke; for the mother-ear is so close to the heart that it can hear the faintest whisper of a child.
She opened her eyes and drew the baby closer. It looked like a rose dipped in milk, she thought, this pink and white blossom of girlhood, or like a pink cherub, with its halo of pale yellow hair, finer than floss silk.
"Carol, brothers, carol,
Carol joyfully,
Carol the good tidings,
Carol merrily!"
The voices were brimming over with joy.
"Why, my baby," whispered Mrs. Bird in soft surprise, "I had forgotten what day it was. You are a little Christmas child, and we will name you 'Carol'—mother's Christmas Carol!"
"What!" said Mr. Bird, coming in softly and closing the door behind him.
"Why, Donald, don't you think 'Carol' is a sweet name for a Christmas baby? It came to me just a moment ago in the singing, as I was lying here half asleep and half awake."
"I think it is a charming name, dear heart, and sounds just like you, and I hope that, being a girl, this baby has some chance of being as lovely as her mother;"—at which speech from the baby's papa Mrs. Bird, though she was as weak and tired as she could be, blushed with happiness.
And so Carol came by her name.
Now after this, every single minute we spend with Carol reminds me of a character from a Dickens novel, Little Nell. Little Nell was perfect and so is Carol:
Perhaps because she was born in holiday time, Carol was a very happy baby. Of course, she was too tiny to understand the joy of Christmas-tide, but people say there is everything in a good beginning, and she may have breathed in unconsciously the fragrance of evergreens and holiday dinners; while the peals of sleigh-bells and the laughter of happy children may have fallen upon her baby ears and wakened in them a glad surprise at the merry world she had come to live in.
Her cheeks and lips were as red as holly-berries; her hair was for all the world the color of a Christmas candle-flame; her eyes were bright as stars; her laugh like a chime of Christmas-bells, and her tiny hands forever outstretched in giving.
Such a generous little creature you never saw! A spoonful of bread and milk had always to be taken by Mamma or nurse before Carol could enjoy her supper; whatever bit of cake or sweetmeat found its way into her pretty fingers was straightway broken in half to be shared with Donald, Paul, or Hugh; and when they made believe nibble the morsel with affected enjoyment, she would clap her hands and crow with delight.
"Why does she do it?" asked Donald thoughtfully. "None of us boys ever did."
"I hardly know," said Mamma, catching her darling to her heart, "except that she is a little Christmas child, and so she has a tiny share of the blessedest birthday the world ever knew!"
But in our next chapter we are ten years from the events in the first chapter, and though Carol is still that perfect child, always giving her gifts to the neighbor children even before it was time to eat their Christmas dinner kind of thing, she is not quite the merry child she used to be:
But Christmas in the Birds' Nest was scarcely as merry now as it used to be in the bygone years, for the little child, that once brought such an added blessing to the day, lay month after month a patient, helpless invalid, in the room where she was born. She had never been very strong in body, and it was with a pang of terror her mother and father noticed, soon after she was five years old, that she began to limp, ever so slightly; to complain too often of weariness, and to nestle close to her mother, saying she "would rather not go out to play, please."
Most of the book from here is about Carol wanting to give a Christmas party for the Ruggles children, nine children from a poor working class family living next to the Birds that Carol can watch from her window every day. As for the rest, well you can probably figure that out without even reading the book, but go ahead and read it anyway. Especially if you are a fan of Little Nell. Happy reading.
December 8, 2024
A sweet, if somewhat sad, story written by Kate Douglass Wiggin and illustrated by Katherine R. Wireman, which shares the life of a young girl who was born into her family on Christmas, but whose life is lived mostly in her room. As she ages, her health deteriorates a bit at a time, but despite this, she seems to have come to terms with it.
A simple story of a family and the love that flows both from this girl and in exchange, to her, as well.
A simple story of a family and the love that flows both from this girl and in exchange, to her, as well.
December 25, 2014
I found an older book with several classic Christmas stories that included “The Bird’s Christmas Carol” by Kate Douglas Wiggins, so I did a little research on the story. This story was first introduced by Wiggins in 1887 and became very popular during the first part of a 20th Century. It was used in elementary schools to teach children to help and sacrifice for others especially during the Christmas season. I decided that this should be one of the Christmas stories that I read this year.
This short Christmas story is about a young girl who was born on Christmas Day and was given the name of Carol after her mother heard a Christmas Carol. She became ill at a young age and her health started to decline. She was innocent and loving child that was blessed with great parents and a loving family. As her health continued to decline she had only one desire for Christmas, that she have a Christmas feast and celebration with the large, poor family that lived next to her, the Ruggleses. She works with her mother to earn money and sacrificed part of her own Christmas gifts to buy Christmas gifts for each of the Ruggles children. At the appointed time the Ruggleses came to Carol’s home and had a wonderful feast and then received gifts that Carol had selected for them. It was a wonderful evening for the children especially Carol who was overjoyed to see the excitement and delight of the Ruggleses. That night Carol passed away will listening to Christmas Carols with joy and peace in her heart.
I loved how Carol’s mother, Mrs. Bird, looked at Carol’s illness and declining health as a blessing in the home instead of a trial. Mrs. Bird said because of Carol’s health that the boys in the family did not fight or say anything that would distress Carol. The boys loved to study at school and read at home so they could come home and teach Carol the things they learned. Mrs. Bird said that she was a better woman every day because of Carol’s illness. This made me think, am I a better person because of the trials that I face each day? Am I thankful for the trials and tests of life and look at them as blessings?
Another thing I learned in this story was that giving is truly giving when it includes an element of sacrifice. Carol gave up part of her Christmas gifts so that she could use the money to get gifts for the Ruggles children. This was a powerful example to me that giving our excess is good but sacrificing is even better. I hope to use this example in my own life when I serve and when I give.
I recommend this short story to those who enjoy a good, innocent Christmas story of family, love, sacrifice and serving others.
This short Christmas story is about a young girl who was born on Christmas Day and was given the name of Carol after her mother heard a Christmas Carol. She became ill at a young age and her health started to decline. She was innocent and loving child that was blessed with great parents and a loving family. As her health continued to decline she had only one desire for Christmas, that she have a Christmas feast and celebration with the large, poor family that lived next to her, the Ruggleses. She works with her mother to earn money and sacrificed part of her own Christmas gifts to buy Christmas gifts for each of the Ruggles children. At the appointed time the Ruggleses came to Carol’s home and had a wonderful feast and then received gifts that Carol had selected for them. It was a wonderful evening for the children especially Carol who was overjoyed to see the excitement and delight of the Ruggleses. That night Carol passed away will listening to Christmas Carols with joy and peace in her heart.
I loved how Carol’s mother, Mrs. Bird, looked at Carol’s illness and declining health as a blessing in the home instead of a trial. Mrs. Bird said because of Carol’s health that the boys in the family did not fight or say anything that would distress Carol. The boys loved to study at school and read at home so they could come home and teach Carol the things they learned. Mrs. Bird said that she was a better woman every day because of Carol’s illness. This made me think, am I a better person because of the trials that I face each day? Am I thankful for the trials and tests of life and look at them as blessings?
Another thing I learned in this story was that giving is truly giving when it includes an element of sacrifice. Carol gave up part of her Christmas gifts so that she could use the money to get gifts for the Ruggles children. This was a powerful example to me that giving our excess is good but sacrificing is even better. I hope to use this example in my own life when I serve and when I give.
I recommend this short story to those who enjoy a good, innocent Christmas story of family, love, sacrifice and serving others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2020
I adore this sweet story! Although it is short, I quickly become attached to the characters. Each little Ruggles is unique and their delight at Christmas is infectious. Carol is a darling, and the whole Bird family is exceptionally interesting. Love it!
Update in 2020: Rereading this for the umpteenth time, I was just giggling and laughing at all the Christmas fun!
Update in 2020: Rereading this for the umpteenth time, I was just giggling and laughing at all the Christmas fun!
February 20, 2009
This book means Christmas to me. It will always be linked with my favorite memories of my mother.
One thing not mentioned in the other reviews is the beautiful pictures.
I think this book may be what made such a reader out of me.
One thing not mentioned in the other reviews is the beautiful pictures.
I think this book may be what made such a reader out of me.
December 30, 2015
A melodramatic, but sweet little Christmas tale written in 1886 by Kate Douglas Wiggin who also wrote Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. I wish I had ordered the original with line drawings. The newer edition that I ordered for my friend had no illustrations.
December 15, 2024
I had an attractive old edition of this story and I read it twice. Both times left me feeling disappointed and even a little irritated. I may have stashed the book out of sight, but maybe I just got rid of it.
May 2, 2017
Typical Victorian "girl dies young and virtuous" story. Get out the box of Kleenex. I loved it!
December 4, 2008
I love this book and I read it every Christmas. My aunt read it to me as a child. I bet I have given out 50 or more copies of this book. Read it this Christmas
December 4, 2022
Short, sweet, very old-fashioned story. Put some eggnog in my coffee and enjoyed it in one sitting.
December 28, 2016
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Born on Christmas Day, Carol is the youngest member of the Bird family and the only girl. At age ten, she is gravely ill and confined to her bed, expected not to live much longer. Rather than pitying herself, however, Carol is ever mindful of the needs of others, particularly her next door neighbors, the Ruggles family. On the day that turns out to be her last Christmas, Carol hosts a Christmas party for the Ruggles children, complete with dinner and gifts, which the Ruggleses could not have afforded to get for themselves.
This is a saccharine holiday story that would make a perfect Hallmark movie. Only two things prevent it from being unbearable - the language, which is beautiful, especially to read aloud, and the characterization of the Ruggles brood, which is both humorous and sweet. The story's message of love and giving is very transparent, and only a reader who has never read a book before would be able to read the first couple of chapters without guessing at the ending. Carol has absolutely no flaws outside of her health problems, and her acts of constant charity with no regard for personal gain are admirable, but not very believable. There is something irritating about a perfect fictional child, even one who is very sick, and I think most kids would find Carol pretty dull, even if they might like to attend her party.
The Ruggleses, though, are more down to earth. Like the Herdmans in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, they lack many of the social graces and luxuries Carol has been given, and their reaction to a formal dinner is one of nervousness and confusion. Their mother warns them to use their best manners, but as most children do from time to time, they manage to forget much of what she told them when they're in the moment. Of everything in the story, kids will relate to these characters most closely, which might make them feel irritated, as I did, that Carol looks upon the Ruggleses with such pity. Their is a definite sense of condescension toward the "less fortunate" in this book that somewhat cheapens the holiday spirit of the story. I'm all for promoting selfless giving, but this book takes it to an extreme.
Christmas books are, by definition, somewhat hokey, and the strength of the author's writing abilities really makes this a story worth reading, even if the drama of it all is somewhat over the top. Keep tissues on hand, as even the most stoic reader is likely to be moved to tears, but also expect to groan in certain places at Carol's purely perfect behavior and personality. (And please note that for all my complaining, I did give this book five stars on Goodreads. It reads like a classic, and I can forgive it for a lot of its flaws because it's truly a story from another time period, and because it's just so well written.)
Born on Christmas Day, Carol is the youngest member of the Bird family and the only girl. At age ten, she is gravely ill and confined to her bed, expected not to live much longer. Rather than pitying herself, however, Carol is ever mindful of the needs of others, particularly her next door neighbors, the Ruggles family. On the day that turns out to be her last Christmas, Carol hosts a Christmas party for the Ruggles children, complete with dinner and gifts, which the Ruggleses could not have afforded to get for themselves.
This is a saccharine holiday story that would make a perfect Hallmark movie. Only two things prevent it from being unbearable - the language, which is beautiful, especially to read aloud, and the characterization of the Ruggles brood, which is both humorous and sweet. The story's message of love and giving is very transparent, and only a reader who has never read a book before would be able to read the first couple of chapters without guessing at the ending. Carol has absolutely no flaws outside of her health problems, and her acts of constant charity with no regard for personal gain are admirable, but not very believable. There is something irritating about a perfect fictional child, even one who is very sick, and I think most kids would find Carol pretty dull, even if they might like to attend her party.
The Ruggleses, though, are more down to earth. Like the Herdmans in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, they lack many of the social graces and luxuries Carol has been given, and their reaction to a formal dinner is one of nervousness and confusion. Their mother warns them to use their best manners, but as most children do from time to time, they manage to forget much of what she told them when they're in the moment. Of everything in the story, kids will relate to these characters most closely, which might make them feel irritated, as I did, that Carol looks upon the Ruggleses with such pity. Their is a definite sense of condescension toward the "less fortunate" in this book that somewhat cheapens the holiday spirit of the story. I'm all for promoting selfless giving, but this book takes it to an extreme.
Christmas books are, by definition, somewhat hokey, and the strength of the author's writing abilities really makes this a story worth reading, even if the drama of it all is somewhat over the top. Keep tissues on hand, as even the most stoic reader is likely to be moved to tears, but also expect to groan in certain places at Carol's purely perfect behavior and personality. (And please note that for all my complaining, I did give this book five stars on Goodreads. It reads like a classic, and I can forgive it for a lot of its flaws because it's truly a story from another time period, and because it's just so well written.)
November 19, 2023
One of the sweetest and most heartwarming vintage children's books I've ever read! This is the third Kate Douglas Wiggin book (two were Christmas books!) I've read this year and, though I didn't love Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm as much as I'd hoped, I do enjoy her writing very much.
I found this very old edition at a local antique store and I was thrilled to find it. The dust jacket is falling apart, but I hope to cover it in mylar soon.
I fell in love with the domestic details (especially the descriptions of food, toys and clothes) in this book. Carol Bird and her family are just so precious and kind. Carol's Uncle Jack is also such a fun addition to this Christmas story that I can't imagine the book without him.
As always, I found the black and white illustrations (along with a few full-color bookplates) absolutely enchanting. I keep wondering why contemporary books have left out this essential element.
This is a must have for any lover of vintage Christmas books, especially if you have a soft spot for children's stories. I'm looking forward to reading it year after year! Highly recommended.
I found this very old edition at a local antique store and I was thrilled to find it. The dust jacket is falling apart, but I hope to cover it in mylar soon.
I fell in love with the domestic details (especially the descriptions of food, toys and clothes) in this book. Carol Bird and her family are just so precious and kind. Carol's Uncle Jack is also such a fun addition to this Christmas story that I can't imagine the book without him.
As always, I found the black and white illustrations (along with a few full-color bookplates) absolutely enchanting. I keep wondering why contemporary books have left out this essential element.
This is a must have for any lover of vintage Christmas books, especially if you have a soft spot for children's stories. I'm looking forward to reading it year after year! Highly recommended.
December 21, 2014
Such a sweet Christmas story. I read it first as a child and enjoy reading it again every few Christmases.
September 15, 2020
Wikipedia says: “In literary and historical analysis, presentism is the anachronistic introduction of present-day ideas and perspectives into depictions or interpretations of the past. Modern historians seek to avoid presentism in their work because they consider it a form of cultural bias, and believe it creates a distorted understanding of their subject matter. The practice of presentism is regarded by some as a common fallacy when writing about the past.”
As readers, we have the ability to take pleasure in the simplicity of this sweet childrens’ tale today if we are able to take a true mental leap back into the past. Otherwise, our 2020 attitudes may prevent us from enjoying this delightful little story.
As readers, we have the ability to take pleasure in the simplicity of this sweet childrens’ tale today if we are able to take a true mental leap back into the past. Otherwise, our 2020 attitudes may prevent us from enjoying this delightful little story.
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