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Mountain Born #2
Once in the Year: A Christmas Story
No time of the year is more alive with wonder than Christmas. This beloved Christmas Classic captures the warmth and wonder of the season, inviting the readers to respond with the imagination and with the heart.
In Once in the Year, Elizabeth Yates retells in her own way two of the oldest of the Christmas legends. She has woven both of them—the story of the flowering forest and the legend of the animals talking at midnight—into a single, compelling story. The characters, Peter, his mother and father, Old Benj, and the animals, come to life through the warmly nostalgic text and the delicately detailed illustrations of Nora Unwin. All the charm of a New England countryside emerge in these lovely drawings.
Originally published in 1947, this Christmas treasure is being re-released by Upper Room Books for a whole new generation of children and parents at Christmastime. Discover for yourself the truth in what Peter's mother tells him:
"When something wonderful happens to people on Christmas Eve, it is to be cherished in the heart and in the mind. We must not be afraid of the wonderful things, nor must we let others laugh them away from us. Only thus do we learn to hold our dreams."
In Once in the Year, Elizabeth Yates retells in her own way two of the oldest of the Christmas legends. She has woven both of them—the story of the flowering forest and the legend of the animals talking at midnight—into a single, compelling story. The characters, Peter, his mother and father, Old Benj, and the animals, come to life through the warmly nostalgic text and the delicately detailed illustrations of Nora Unwin. All the charm of a New England countryside emerge in these lovely drawings.
Originally published in 1947, this Christmas treasure is being re-released by Upper Room Books for a whole new generation of children and parents at Christmastime. Discover for yourself the truth in what Peter's mother tells him:
"When something wonderful happens to people on Christmas Eve, it is to be cherished in the heart and in the mind. We must not be afraid of the wonderful things, nor must we let others laugh them away from us. Only thus do we learn to hold our dreams."
64 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1947
146 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Yates
98 books77 followersElizabeth Yates, author of over forty books for children, was born in New York State on December 6th, 1905. Determined to be an author, she moved to New York City to launch her career. She worked a variety of jobs including reviewing book, writing short stories, and doing research. She moved to England with her husband and wrote her first book, High Holiday, based on her travels in Switzerland with her three children. The family returned to the U.S. in 1939 and settled in New Hampshire. Yates won the Newbery Award in 1951 for her book, Amos Fortune, Free Man, a biography of an African prince who is enslaved and taken to America.
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 1, 2023
2.5 stars
I'm not sure what I think of this story. In some ways it was a beautiful reminder of that first Christmas, but in other ways it was strange. The author took the legend of the animals talking at mid-night on Christmas Eve and made people hear them, and the legend of the forests blooming on Christmas Eve and had a girl see it and pick and press a flower from it. I don't mind allegories, but when they make them become real, then I don't like them as well.
I'm not sure what I think of this story. In some ways it was a beautiful reminder of that first Christmas, but in other ways it was strange. The author took the legend of the animals talking at mid-night on Christmas Eve and made people hear them, and the legend of the forests blooming on Christmas Eve and had a girl see it and pick and press a flower from it. I don't mind allegories, but when they make them become real, then I don't like them as well.
November 26, 2024
Read aloud to all kids 2024. Christmas short story.
December 10, 2020
A perfect Christmas sequel to the wonderful book Mountain Born by Yates. Once again we see Peter and his parents and the wise old shepherd Benj. It is rare for a book to open the reader up to the wonder of Christmas, to the possibilities of miracles, all the while appreciating the simple traditions of Christmas and the true meaning of Christmas.
November 8, 2022
A beautiful and peaceful story about the real meaning of Christmas wrapped in the familiar lives of Peter and his family! A quick read but a beautiful one! The illustrations are beautiful as well. I believe I will have to find a copy to read every Christmas. It is a good reminder of the real meaning and the simple yet profound way in which it can be celebrated without all of the presents and fancy trimmings. It is the real meaning and traditions of family that make the season special.
December 18, 2023
Well, now! This is a simply lovely and divine, in the true sense, story of the Christmas stories. One part was so moving, I teared up. The etched drawings are quite good, and one is beautiful beyond the simple subject it shows. I know this sounds silly, but I really was drawn in and emotionally touched by this book. I don't even know how I came across it, but it should be a more known and popular book.
December 13, 2020
Sweet story with such beautiful, detailed pictures and edging. The story of the first Christmas and the animals talking in the barn on Christmas Eve reminded me of the Christmas song-The Friendly Beasts.
June 5, 2017
A really sweet story about the real meaning of Christmas.
December 31, 2019
Beautiful illustrations. Through a young boy, this essentially tells the Nativity story plus the legend of animals being able to speak on Christmas Eve night.
January 25, 2022
A magical little story for Christmas. One to read each year.
August 28, 2023
Cute Christmas story I wish I would have known about it when my children were small!
December 24, 2009
I would give two and a half stars to this book.
In her own beautifully distinguished style, Elizabeth Yates takes us, the reader, once again into the quiet mountain life of Peter, this time on Christmas Eve. Featuring a significantly greater number of illustrations and noticeably less text per page than the other two books about Peter—Newbery Honor recipient Mountain Born and its follow-up, A Place for Peter—Once in the Year draws forth the true charm of the story with gentle simplicity, not trying to do too much in such small space but succeeding completely in the creation of this novella as a sweet, memorable tale of Christmas magic.
Once in the Year seems to me to be the kind of book that could easily be passed down through families from one generation to the next, read out loud to the kids each year and with ever-growing appreciation for its inherent character. I like this book, and only wish that it were more widely experienced.
"When something wonderful happens...it is to be cherished in the heart and in the mind. We must not be afraid of the wonderful things, nor must we let others laugh them away from us. Only thus do we learn how to hold our dreams."
—Once in the Year, P. 64
In her own beautifully distinguished style, Elizabeth Yates takes us, the reader, once again into the quiet mountain life of Peter, this time on Christmas Eve. Featuring a significantly greater number of illustrations and noticeably less text per page than the other two books about Peter—Newbery Honor recipient Mountain Born and its follow-up, A Place for Peter—Once in the Year draws forth the true charm of the story with gentle simplicity, not trying to do too much in such small space but succeeding completely in the creation of this novella as a sweet, memorable tale of Christmas magic.
Once in the Year seems to me to be the kind of book that could easily be passed down through families from one generation to the next, read out loud to the kids each year and with ever-growing appreciation for its inherent character. I like this book, and only wish that it were more widely experienced.
"When something wonderful happens...it is to be cherished in the heart and in the mind. We must not be afraid of the wonderful things, nor must we let others laugh them away from us. Only thus do we learn how to hold our dreams."
—Once in the Year, P. 64
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews