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A Small Miracle
This is a Christmas miracle like no other, with such richness in image and story that children will return to it again and again." (Booklist, starred review).
The wooden figures in a Christmas crèche come to life to save a poor old woman in this truly original, deeply moving contemporary parable. Told with 96 pictures by Peter Collington, the master of the wordless story, this is a Christmas treasure the entire family can enjoy.
"Without a doubt the most original Christmas book of the year not the least because of its surprising yet, in context, fitting combination of the devout and the surreal." -The Horn Book, starred review
"The story is sweet, simple and wordless. The illustrations are intricate enough to warrant reading this one over and over." - American Bookseller
"an upbeat story to treasure for this and many Christmases to come." - School Library Journal
The wooden figures in a Christmas crèche come to life to save a poor old woman in this truly original, deeply moving contemporary parable. Told with 96 pictures by Peter Collington, the master of the wordless story, this is a Christmas treasure the entire family can enjoy.
"Without a doubt the most original Christmas book of the year not the least because of its surprising yet, in context, fitting combination of the devout and the surreal." -The Horn Book, starred review
"The story is sweet, simple and wordless. The illustrations are intricate enough to warrant reading this one over and over." - American Bookseller
"an upbeat story to treasure for this and many Christmases to come." - School Library Journal
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
December 4, 2022
What a beautiful story, an old woman lives in an empty wooden caravan. Finding nothing in her cupboards, with no money she takes her piano accordion out to busk. This musician has a bad day and people don't give. In need of food she sells her accordion. Human nature shows itself at it's worst next as the money she has sold it for is snatched in the street. I shan't spoil the rest of the plot, but there are twists and turns, magic and a happy ending. We loved this story, the illustrations, the message and the way from page 1 we couldn't tell what on earth was going to happen!
December 5, 2022
I was given this beautiful book as a gift many years ago and I put it out every Christmas. It is a wordless picture book that tells the poignant story of an elderly woman who has nothing, but risks her well-being to return stolen money to a church and to fix a nativity scene that has been vandalized. Collington's realistic illustrations take us through one day in the life of the elderly woman who barely scrapes by. You can feel every slow step she takes, especially in the bleak, snowy landscape. I won't spoil the details of the ending which ultimately light up the book with warmth and joy as a small Christmas miracle banishes despair.
December 2, 2011
I LOVE this story in pictures without words, it makes me joyfully teary every time... it's a present-day Christmas story about the message of Christmas.
December 18, 2020
An impoverished old woman, living alone in a wooden caravan outside a small English village, awakens one morning before Christmas to the realization that she has no food, and no money. Taking her accordion, she goes into the village to busk, but no one gives her anything for her troubles. Eventually, driven by desperation, she sells the accordion, only to have her money stolen by a young thief on a bicycle. Things look bleak, but this doesn't stop the old woman from intervening, when the thief tries to steal the church's charity bucket. Her actions in restoring the church's Nativity scene are rewarded when , creating a happy and warm Christmas for her after all...
A lovely Christmas tale told through the illustrations alone, A Small Miracle is the fourth wordless picture-book (and the fifth title overall) that I have read from British artist Peter Collington, following upon such titles as On Christmas Eve and The Tooth Fairy . His artwork here is beautiful, capturing the woman's sense of despair and desperation, when confronted with hunger and poverty, and her sense of wonder and joy, when her selfless act is rewarded in the end. This would make an excellent springboard for discussion of poverty and compassion with young children, especially at the holidays. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for poignant and beautiful Christmas stories, and to anyone who appreciates wordless narratives.
A lovely Christmas tale told through the illustrations alone, A Small Miracle is the fourth wordless picture-book (and the fifth title overall) that I have read from British artist Peter Collington, following upon such titles as On Christmas Eve and The Tooth Fairy . His artwork here is beautiful, capturing the woman's sense of despair and desperation, when confronted with hunger and poverty, and her sense of wonder and joy, when her selfless act is rewarded in the end. This would make an excellent springboard for discussion of poverty and compassion with young children, especially at the holidays. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for poignant and beautiful Christmas stories, and to anyone who appreciates wordless narratives.
December 21, 2024
Beautiful story told completely through pictures of an old, poor woman who sacrifices to help rebuild a nativity that is damaged at a local church, and the miracle that happens to her because of it.
My son loved narrating this story.
My son loved narrating this story.
February 3, 2015
I was surprised by this book, it holds quite the inspiring story that I was not expecting. For being a wordless book the special message it conveys is clear. The art work I found to be a bit odd, but the story it conveys makes up for it in every way.
December 3, 2016
This quickly became a family favorite Christmas story. Told wordlessly with beautiful pictures, it conveys a powerfully emotional story of God's generous care for one of "the least of these." Highly recommend!
November 9, 2010
This is one of my all time favorite books. Highly recommended.
January 13, 2015
A beautiful, touching picture book with a message that masterfully manages to be both extraordinary and simple at the same time.
December 9, 2020
Hands-down our favorite Christmas picture book. It opens our advent reading every year and has for many years. It is a gorgeous worthless book that brings hope to my heart and tears to my eyes with every read.
December 20, 2024
Really sweet Christmas story in picture form.
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March 1, 2017Book title and author/illustrator:
A Small Miracle by Peter Colington
Professional Recommendation #1:
Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature )
This Christmas tale is told entirely in paintings, without a single word spoken. An old woman, living alone in a caravan, has run out of money and food. She walks into town to try to earn a few coins playing her accordion for people on the street. Unsuccessful, she is forced to pawn her beloved accordion. A thief steals the coins the sale brought, and later she encounters the same thief emerging from a church. She snatches the bucket of charitable donations he had taken and returns it to the church. The woman repairs the cr che the thief had vandalized, then heads for home. Overcome, she sinks into the snow. Her rescue is the "small miracle" of the title -- the figures from the cr che appear and carry her back to her home. They return to town to redeem her accordion with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Next, they visit the local grocery and purchase a feast. Returning to the woman's caravan, Joseph repairs the flooring, a shepherd trims a Christmas tree, the magi prepare the meal and Mary sits with the woman. When the woman awakes, her rescuers have disappeared. She eats a hearty meal and sings with joy. The paintings are lovely -- depicting despair, outrage, and joy as well as the humor of tiny figures hoisting a turkey into a modern shopping cart. 2002 (orig. 1997), Knopf, $15.95. Ages All. (PUBLISHER: Knopf:Distributed by Random House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
Professional Recommendation #2:
Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, January 1998 (Vol. 51, No. 5) )
In this wordless book, a woman living in a shabby caravan trudges into the winter snow to earn some money; after pawning her beloved accordion, she loses her payment to a passing thief. Returning home in despair, she encounters the same thief plundering the church; though he escapes, she wrests the charity box back from his grasp and restores it along with the Nativity scene, whose figures had been flung all over the church. Those Nativity figures--Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, and a representative shepherd--come to life and rescue the woman, who has collapsed in the snow, and they fill her caravan with holiday provisions, including the reclaimed accordion. It's less complicated to watch in pictures than it is to describe in words: Collington is a master of the wordless form, and his narrative, which flows from panel to panel with clarity and rhythm, is effective and understandable. The panel sizes are fluid, changing to alter the cadence of the story as appropriate. The human figures are pale and indistinct, but the Nativity denizens are richly garbed and otherworldly, and the book isn't above giving them some humorous moments, as when the small figures (not much over knee-high) struggle to push a shopping cart through the supermarket aisle. The absence of text keeps the story from becoming overly sentimental, and the fantasy is similar enough to toys coming alive that the young audience will appreciate the idea whether they catch the theological overtones or not. R--Recommended. (c) Copyright 1998, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1997, Knopf, 32p, $18.00. Ages 5-8 yrs. (PUBLISHER: Knopf:Distributed by Random House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
A brief book summary:
This book begins by showing an elderly woman who earns a living by playing the accordion in the streets for money. She then is robbed of her earnings and then comes across the same man that robbed her, stealing from the church. The old woman goes and cleans up the church after getting the money back from the robber. She is frail and falls in the snow, only to be rescued by the figures that she set back up in the church earlier. The moral of the story is do treat others how you want to be treated.
Personal response to professional recommendations:
I agree with both of the professional recommendations. So much depth is portrayed through the pictures that the reader can gain a strong knowledge of the plot and understanding without the addition of words. The pictures flow so well together that it is almost seamless and it never seems as though there is a break in the story.
Thoughtful consideration of literary merit and picture book analysis using course vocabulary:
I believe that this book does an incredible job at portraying the intended message and it does so in a way that is captivating to the learner. This book allows the learner to make their own assumptions about what is going on in the story. They are able to facilitate their own learning through the incredible pictures.
Description of possible instructional application:
I believe this book is suitable for children from kindergarten to 3rd grade. I think that for the younger children, they can look at the pictures and start to create a basic plot for the book based on what they see. As for the older chidlren, they can create backstories and deepen their knowledge of the story.
A Small Miracle by Peter Colington
Professional Recommendation #1:
Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature )
This Christmas tale is told entirely in paintings, without a single word spoken. An old woman, living alone in a caravan, has run out of money and food. She walks into town to try to earn a few coins playing her accordion for people on the street. Unsuccessful, she is forced to pawn her beloved accordion. A thief steals the coins the sale brought, and later she encounters the same thief emerging from a church. She snatches the bucket of charitable donations he had taken and returns it to the church. The woman repairs the cr che the thief had vandalized, then heads for home. Overcome, she sinks into the snow. Her rescue is the "small miracle" of the title -- the figures from the cr che appear and carry her back to her home. They return to town to redeem her accordion with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Next, they visit the local grocery and purchase a feast. Returning to the woman's caravan, Joseph repairs the flooring, a shepherd trims a Christmas tree, the magi prepare the meal and Mary sits with the woman. When the woman awakes, her rescuers have disappeared. She eats a hearty meal and sings with joy. The paintings are lovely -- depicting despair, outrage, and joy as well as the humor of tiny figures hoisting a turkey into a modern shopping cart. 2002 (orig. 1997), Knopf, $15.95. Ages All. (PUBLISHER: Knopf:Distributed by Random House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
Professional Recommendation #2:
Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, January 1998 (Vol. 51, No. 5) )
In this wordless book, a woman living in a shabby caravan trudges into the winter snow to earn some money; after pawning her beloved accordion, she loses her payment to a passing thief. Returning home in despair, she encounters the same thief plundering the church; though he escapes, she wrests the charity box back from his grasp and restores it along with the Nativity scene, whose figures had been flung all over the church. Those Nativity figures--Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, and a representative shepherd--come to life and rescue the woman, who has collapsed in the snow, and they fill her caravan with holiday provisions, including the reclaimed accordion. It's less complicated to watch in pictures than it is to describe in words: Collington is a master of the wordless form, and his narrative, which flows from panel to panel with clarity and rhythm, is effective and understandable. The panel sizes are fluid, changing to alter the cadence of the story as appropriate. The human figures are pale and indistinct, but the Nativity denizens are richly garbed and otherworldly, and the book isn't above giving them some humorous moments, as when the small figures (not much over knee-high) struggle to push a shopping cart through the supermarket aisle. The absence of text keeps the story from becoming overly sentimental, and the fantasy is similar enough to toys coming alive that the young audience will appreciate the idea whether they catch the theological overtones or not. R--Recommended. (c) Copyright 1998, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1997, Knopf, 32p, $18.00. Ages 5-8 yrs. (PUBLISHER: Knopf:Distributed by Random House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
A brief book summary:
This book begins by showing an elderly woman who earns a living by playing the accordion in the streets for money. She then is robbed of her earnings and then comes across the same man that robbed her, stealing from the church. The old woman goes and cleans up the church after getting the money back from the robber. She is frail and falls in the snow, only to be rescued by the figures that she set back up in the church earlier. The moral of the story is do treat others how you want to be treated.
Personal response to professional recommendations:
I agree with both of the professional recommendations. So much depth is portrayed through the pictures that the reader can gain a strong knowledge of the plot and understanding without the addition of words. The pictures flow so well together that it is almost seamless and it never seems as though there is a break in the story.
Thoughtful consideration of literary merit and picture book analysis using course vocabulary:
I believe that this book does an incredible job at portraying the intended message and it does so in a way that is captivating to the learner. This book allows the learner to make their own assumptions about what is going on in the story. They are able to facilitate their own learning through the incredible pictures.
Description of possible instructional application:
I believe this book is suitable for children from kindergarten to 3rd grade. I think that for the younger children, they can look at the pictures and start to create a basic plot for the book based on what they see. As for the older chidlren, they can create backstories and deepen their knowledge of the story.
December 13, 2013
An old, lonely woman wakes on Christmas Eve with no food and no money. After all her efforts to earn some extra cash in town fail, she turns toward home, despondent but still with enough goodness in her heart to stop a thief from robbing a small church and tenderly reassemble the nativity set he had knocked over. When she collapses on the snowy road back to her home, the figures in the church's nativity set magically come to life, eager to return the kindness she so willingly showed to them. Together they toil to give her a Christmas she will always remember and show us all that even the very small can work miracles.
I remember "reading" Peter Collington's book Little Pickle when I was a little girl and being fascinated by the idea that you could tell a whole story with no words at all. I loved it. It still gives me a warm feeling to just think about turning the pages of that book, drinking in those pictures, feeling the story come alive inside of me. Of course, I never paid attention to author and illustrator names when I was little, but I knew immediately when I found A Small Miracle in the library that it must be by the same guy. I love how an artist's unique touch can evoke those same feelings, no matter what the story, and I especially loved watching my children experience that same excitement as they narrated those beautiful pictures to me.
This story is really great too, and I will only talk about two of the reasons today. First of all, it is a great "true meaning of Christmas" story. It is all about giving and generosity and love that we especially want to teach our kids. It incorporates Christ without being preachy about it, and shows us that there is a lot that we can do for people that are very close by but that we might not see in our busy lives. Secondly, I love the use of little people performing miracles. Yes, they are statues that magically come to life. No, our kids won't have anything as valuable as the 3 wise men's gifts that they can sell to buy someone groceries. And they certainly should not be using axes by themselves to chop firewood for the less fortunate. However, children instinctively reach out to and relate to anyone who is little. They feel an alliance with them, and when they see other little people or things accomplishing something big and important, they feel that that has a special significance for them. I love books that help kids feel that they can change the world for the better, that they can do something miraculous, and this is one of those books.
http://childrensbooksonadime.wordpres...
I remember "reading" Peter Collington's book Little Pickle when I was a little girl and being fascinated by the idea that you could tell a whole story with no words at all. I loved it. It still gives me a warm feeling to just think about turning the pages of that book, drinking in those pictures, feeling the story come alive inside of me. Of course, I never paid attention to author and illustrator names when I was little, but I knew immediately when I found A Small Miracle in the library that it must be by the same guy. I love how an artist's unique touch can evoke those same feelings, no matter what the story, and I especially loved watching my children experience that same excitement as they narrated those beautiful pictures to me.
This story is really great too, and I will only talk about two of the reasons today. First of all, it is a great "true meaning of Christmas" story. It is all about giving and generosity and love that we especially want to teach our kids. It incorporates Christ without being preachy about it, and shows us that there is a lot that we can do for people that are very close by but that we might not see in our busy lives. Secondly, I love the use of little people performing miracles. Yes, they are statues that magically come to life. No, our kids won't have anything as valuable as the 3 wise men's gifts that they can sell to buy someone groceries. And they certainly should not be using axes by themselves to chop firewood for the less fortunate. However, children instinctively reach out to and relate to anyone who is little. They feel an alliance with them, and when they see other little people or things accomplishing something big and important, they feel that that has a special significance for them. I love books that help kids feel that they can change the world for the better, that they can do something miraculous, and this is one of those books.
http://childrensbooksonadime.wordpres...
January 29, 2016
4.7 stars
I was reading an article that was talking about children’s Christmas books that are older and that are now difficult to find. A Small Miracle was listed. It is an unusual but incredibly sweet Christmas book. It’s not a book that could be used in a school or library setting, but it would be great for families.
The book is wordless. An old woman lives in an old wooden trailer in the countryside. She has a musical instrument that’s not an accordion, not a concertina---I’m not sure what it is. She clearly loves the instrument, though. She wakes up, checks her money box, and sees that she is out of money and food. She takes her instrument and trudges through deep snow (past a church that she seems to be familiar with) and goes to a town to sit on the cold sidewalk and play her instrument, hoping to earn some money. She earns none. She goes to a shop and sells her instrument which seems to break her heart. As she is leaving, a bad person on a motorbike swoops by and grabs her money. She is devastated. So she just begins to walk home; she has no money, no food. When she passes the church, the same bad person bursts out of the little church, and he has knocked over the nativity set and stolen the church offering money box. The old woman manages to get the money box away from him and then goes in the church and locks the door. She tenderly fixes the nativity scene and leaves the offering box (even though she is penniless herself). She continues trudging towards her home in the snow, but she collapses.
The nativity scene comes to life and hurries to help her. They are small figures; they look like they are about 3 feet tall. These tiny figures carry her to her trailer and put her in bed. Then they go to the town and to the same shop where the old woman sold her instrument. The Three Wisemen sell their gold, frankincense, and myrrh and buy back the old woman’s instrument. Then they go to the grocery store and buy food. They are 3 feet tall figurines who are pushing a grocery cart. No one notices that it is kind of unusual. They get to her trailer, decorate it with a Christmas tree, and cook a meal for her. Then they leave. When the old woman awakens, she is incredulous to see food and to see her instrument.
Awesome, sweet book.
April 22, 2013
Reviewed by "The Horn Book" as being the "Most original Christmas book of the year"...I would have to agree! Being a wordless picture book, the illustrations were everything. At first I was taken a back by the almost faceless characters, but Peter Collington brought these characters to life in other ways.
The story follows a woman who lives in a trailer, for lack of a better word. When she wakes up one morning to a growling stomach, she checks the bread box only to see that's it's empty. She opens up her money case and when she sees it's empty as well, she heads to town with her accordion in hand. After trying unsuccessfully to make some money on street playing her instrument, she decides to sell it to the local pawn shop. After selling it, she is robbed of her new money by a man on a motorcycle. Walking back home completely distraught, she passes by the local church, only to see the same thief taking the money collected for poor from the church's sanctuary. She's able to wrestle the money away from the thief, put back together the nativity scene that was disheveled in the altercation, and heads home. It's on her journey back home that the story takes an incredible twist!
The idea of a wordless picture book was foreign to me until I read this book. I think these types of books are great for developing kid's imaginations and their abilities to look for context clues and details in illustrations. These would be encouraging for children who can't yet read but still wan't to enjoy a good story. I really like this book, and I like the message of doing the right thing in the face of evil, and taking care of one another, because that's what community is for!
The story follows a woman who lives in a trailer, for lack of a better word. When she wakes up one morning to a growling stomach, she checks the bread box only to see that's it's empty. She opens up her money case and when she sees it's empty as well, she heads to town with her accordion in hand. After trying unsuccessfully to make some money on street playing her instrument, she decides to sell it to the local pawn shop. After selling it, she is robbed of her new money by a man on a motorcycle. Walking back home completely distraught, she passes by the local church, only to see the same thief taking the money collected for poor from the church's sanctuary. She's able to wrestle the money away from the thief, put back together the nativity scene that was disheveled in the altercation, and heads home. It's on her journey back home that the story takes an incredible twist!
The idea of a wordless picture book was foreign to me until I read this book. I think these types of books are great for developing kid's imaginations and their abilities to look for context clues and details in illustrations. These would be encouraging for children who can't yet read but still wan't to enjoy a good story. I really like this book, and I like the message of doing the right thing in the face of evil, and taking care of one another, because that's what community is for!
February 2, 2012
A small miracle is wordless book and a story about a small elderly lady. She wakes up one morning and she goes to her cabinets to look for some food. Come to find out she has nothing there to eat. She goes to town to play her accordion and make a little cash to get some food at the market. When she is on the sidewalk playing her instrument some man steals her money and takes it away. She chases him to the church and sees him coming out the doors stealing more money. She knocks over his bike and takes the money back into the church where she finds a huge mess of doll figurines all over the floor of shepherds and baby jesus. Once she replaces the money and all the figurines she heads home still with no food. On the way she becomes weak and falls into the snow. The small figurines from the church come alive and take her to her home. They put her in bed, buy back her accordion, and go to the grocery for her. When she wakes up she finds all the new items in her house and have no idea who has helped her.
This book was for older children to say the least. The pictures were very descriptive and lively. The colors were a little dull, but the pictures were very clear to see. The illustrations went great with the story yet it would take time to analyze. It was a great way of showing how good deeds are encouraged and turns out wonderful for the small old lady. Being good always gets people farther in life and this story showed the true meaning of being honest and kind, and the rewards that follow.
This book was for older children to say the least. The pictures were very descriptive and lively. The colors were a little dull, but the pictures were very clear to see. The illustrations went great with the story yet it would take time to analyze. It was a great way of showing how good deeds are encouraged and turns out wonderful for the small old lady. Being good always gets people farther in life and this story showed the true meaning of being honest and kind, and the rewards that follow.
September 22, 2011
The wordless story "A Small Miracle" by Peter Collington was a book I've read for the first time that was wordless. In fact, at first I forgot it was supposed to be a wordless book and I was confused. I then had to start over and really focus on the story through the illustrations. Speaking of illustrations, I felt they were well-done enough to understand the story and what happened throughout the story, however, I really did not like the drawing of the woman, the main character. I felt as though she was terrifying looking! The story had a very touching theme to it, however. While feeling sad and sorry for the woman in the beginning, I felt proud of her in the middle, and then in the end, I felt she deserved the miracle she was given by the make-believe Jesus figures. It was a miracle all right and very touching. It reminded me of Christmas and the importance of giving and kindness. I did enjoy this wordless book, it just made me have to really focus on the illustrations more than I normally do.
January 7, 2014
This is a quirky little book that kind of grows on you! It features an accordion player, a thief, and a nativity that comes to life. It starts out very depressing, and then is almost comical as the small nativity characters in the church come to life to help the old woman.
So what did I like about the book? I love wordless picture books, and the illustrations in this one are beautifully detailed and tell the story well. I like that it is different and original. And quite frankly, you should read this book just to see the scene depicting the Three Wise Men pushing a cart with groceries through the local supermarket while absolutely no one gives them a second glance! Seriously, the checkout girl just smiles as the accordion-toting, itty-bitty Wise Man hands over the cash.
So what did I like about the book? I love wordless picture books, and the illustrations in this one are beautifully detailed and tell the story well. I like that it is different and original. And quite frankly, you should read this book just to see the scene depicting the Three Wise Men pushing a cart with groceries through the local supermarket while absolutely no one gives them a second glance! Seriously, the checkout girl just smiles as the accordion-toting, itty-bitty Wise Man hands over the cash.
April 26, 2012
This book tells a wonderful story without saying a word. I was amazed at the author's ability to communicate emotions through pictures. This is a wonderful book for children when teaching them about giving and receiving. During the group read aloud the other students in my group felt that this story contributes to building hope in humanity. The old woman is at a dead end and has not options in sight. Even though she is suffering she still shows care for others, this leads to her life being saved (the characters from the nativity scene) save her life, buy her accordion back from the pawn shop and fix her food. It is a wonderful story and I definitely recommend it.
October 10, 2014
This was a very inspiring story that gave me comfort in my trials and there is always ways you can serve an many will return it back. It really touched me that she took the time to fix the nativity. She took time and gave it to our Savior. It made me reflect how much I have done in my life to help others in their journey. Have I benefited anyone? He will always provide a way for us. She was taken care of by the nativity characters and she did not know it. This has a really good meaning to it that would teach a valuable lesson to children I feel.
January 29, 2015
This is a beautiful book in art and in the story line. Since there are now words, the illustrations are really designed to show emotions. I could feel those emotions flipping through the pages. I thought it was a heartwarming story and it teaches a lesson of compassion and acts of service. It was a little strange to see the statues she set back up come to life and serve her in return but it is a sweet thought. It could be used to teach lessons of kindness and to show that when you see someone in need, we should help them out in any way possible. Truly an inspiring read.
January 30, 2008
Rare is the book that can say so much without saying a word. A Small Miracle is a beautiful book composed entirely of pictures. It follows the Christmas Even journey of a poor gypsy woman who is saved from certain starvation by a true Christmas miracle.
Every picture is a work of art, and the story is so beautifully moving and sweet. You are doing yourself a disservice if you miss this one. For kids of all ages.
Every picture is a work of art, and the story is so beautifully moving and sweet. You are doing yourself a disservice if you miss this one. For kids of all ages.
February 23, 2009
I absolutely love this cute little story. It's told entirely through illustrations without words and would be the perfect addition to any family's Christmas book collection. I read this a few years ago and tried to purchase it through Amazon for Christmas this past year. I just got notification it should be here before May. :) A couple of times since ordering, Amazon has given me the option to cancel the order. But this book is worth waiting for and I'm anxious to add it to our library.
December 20, 2010
I would love to have this Christmas book on our shelves but sadly it is out of print. The story is all told through pictures and is so cute. The nativity comes to life help a poor old woman. The illustrations are wonderful and it is so fun to see the wise men shopping in the grocery, Joseph fixing floor boards and Mary comforting the sick woman.
This illustrator has done a number of other books as well. I am going to have to find a few others.
This illustrator has done a number of other books as well. I am going to have to find a few others.
November 29, 2011
one of the five picture books:
I liked this book, especially the part where the old woman was being taken care of when she became sick by the people in the nativity set that she had so diligently looked after. The illustrations were great in the fact that they showed every step that happened in the plot, and were very realistic. They would definitely help a beginning reader to put the plot line of a story together through the pictures that show the story line.
I liked this book, especially the part where the old woman was being taken care of when she became sick by the people in the nativity set that she had so diligently looked after. The illustrations were great in the fact that they showed every step that happened in the plot, and were very realistic. They would definitely help a beginning reader to put the plot line of a story together through the pictures that show the story line.
November 26, 2012
Luke and I "read" this book together this evening. Well, we didn't actually read it because there are no words. But the story is so well done, there are no need for words.
This book literally made me cry. Such a beautiful story of a Christmas miracle. Luke says we must read this EVERY Christmas. Looks like this will need to be purchased to add to our library.
Unanimous decision between the Lukester and I: this is a 5 star book
This book literally made me cry. Such a beautiful story of a Christmas miracle. Luke says we must read this EVERY Christmas. Looks like this will need to be purchased to add to our library.
Unanimous decision between the Lukester and I: this is a 5 star book
January 6, 2016
This book is a kind, simple book about a lady who is poor and plays her accordian on the streets for money. She sells her accordian and gets some cash, only to be robbed by a thief. She goes to the church and sees that the Nativity scene is scattered, and that the thief has taken the "Help The Needy" money. She gets it back, and falls in the snow. The Christmas scene help her by getting food, money, anda Christmas tree. She wakes up in surprise and has the best night ever.
December 30, 2015
I'm not a fan of wordless books, but this has to be my favorite.
The illustrations have fantastic crisp plain detail which children will enjoy looking at.
A few things I noticed and loved were Mary sitting with the old woman, Joseph the carpenter repairing the wood floor, and the old woman's home reminded me of the tv show "Tiny House" currently on HGTV!
The title truly portrays the story in the book and the message of Christmas.
The illustrations have fantastic crisp plain detail which children will enjoy looking at.
A few things I noticed and loved were Mary sitting with the old woman, Joseph the carpenter repairing the wood floor, and the old woman's home reminded me of the tv show "Tiny House" currently on HGTV!
The title truly portrays the story in the book and the message of Christmas.
December 21, 2009
This is a wordless book for Christmas. An old woman is literally rescued by figures from a nativity scene.... They drag her home from the snow where she has passed out, they go shopping and fix her a Christmas dinner....
I think is supposed to be a warm-hearted book, but I just found it creepy. My six year old son didn't understand it at all. "Why are they so small?"
I think is supposed to be a warm-hearted book, but I just found it creepy. My six year old son didn't understand it at all. "Why are they so small?"
October 10, 2014
Wow, I loved this book! What a cute way to show that small kindnesses come back to reward you in big ways. A picture is worth a thousand words, and this picture book spoke volumes. I recommend this one to anyone, especially someone trying to teach their children about neighborly kindness and the spirit of Christmas.
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