The Christmas Promise

by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, David Christiana (Illustrator)

A young girl and her out-of-work father ride the rails during the Great Depression looking for a place to call home, but with Christmas approaching and no job, Poppa leaves her in a foster home, promising to return as soon as he can.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Holiday

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

Susan Campbell Bartoletti is an American writer of children's literature. She was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but eventually the family ended up in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Susan started as an English teacher and inspired many students before deciding to pursue writing in earnest. She sold her first short story in 1989. Three years later in 1992 she published her first picture book, Silver at Night. She held a rigid routine, awaking early in the morning in order to write before she left to teach. In 1997 she turned to writing full time. Susan has since returned to inspiring future writers. She teaches writing classes at a number of MA and MFA programs, among them Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, and Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. Additionally she leads workshops offered through the Highlights Foundation.

Reviews

[Kary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Christmas story.

[Children's Literature Centre at FSU · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Promise is a rich story of hope, love and togetherness from acclaimed author Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Readers will be enthralled as they follow this at times heartbreaking tale of a little girl and Poppa as they struggle to get by in the midst of the Great Depression. Not only will readers be moved by the love between a father and his daughter, the reader is given insight into one of the most influential events in modern US history, making it a must read for this coming holiday season.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Susan Campbell Bartoletti's juvenile nonfiction is right there with that of the genre's best authors, balancing well the necessity of strictly factual reporting with the need to tap into a reservoir of accessible emotion so the events written about mean something to the reader. But while her sterling reputation for the creation of nonfiction will likely never be challenged, fewer readers know how good she is at writing historical fiction. Without ever becoming too wordy so it reads more like a condensed junior novel than a true picture book, The Christmas Promise accurately reflects the plight of millions of unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. Most families were hit hard by the stock market crash, but those families that already weren't whole had the least security of all, as we see when the father in this book loses his job and is forced to ride the rails with his daughter in hopes of finding employment.

The job landscape turns out to be as desolate everywhere else as at home, but father and daughter press on, finding temporary places to stay beneath bridges and in hobo jungles. Even amidst so much gloom, the people they stay with are still going about the business of living their lives, huddling together against the cold of approaching winter and telling stories about their experiences as hoboes on the road, some true and others obviously fictional. But as Christmas nears and the girl wonders what she and her father will do for the yuletide season, he promises her Christmas won't go unobserved in their family. They will find someplace good, better than the brief stops they've had to make on the run from train security and the barrenness of their own poverty. "Yes," Poppa answers when the girl asks him if hoboes have Christmas. "They find a way."

The real miracles of Christmas may not offer completely satisfying solutions to one's personal problems, but through them there is always a glimmer of light at the end of any long, dingy tunnel, enough to see by until one is in better position to grapple with the bigger problems that await. Even in a time of gravest economic crisis, there are those willing to open home and hearth to the needy, whose lives have been rent asunder by circumstances beyond their control. And so the girl waits to see if her father can fulfill his Christmas promise, hoping there is time left on the calendar for the holiday reunion she envisions, as her faith in the Christmas season and the goodness of others is validated and tested at the same time. Will she and Poppa ever be able to stop wandering?

The Christmas Promise is realistic and hopeful, fast-moving yet with plenty of lingering description. Susan Campbell Bartoletti's writing works well with the illustrations of David Christiana, and the result is a nice story equally effective in season and out. I might give two and a half stars to The Christmas Promise.

[Teeny Probst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: The Christmas Promise is a heartwarming story about the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a time of love, hope, and togetherness. These themes shine brightly throughout this children’s book. The story tells of a young girl and her unemployed father during the Great Depression. They hop off and on of trains searching for work for her father. After much searching, the father leaves his daughter at a foster home promising to return when he finds work. Although money is scarce, they share much love and trust between the two of them which proves the most valuable Christmas gift of all.

Author: Susan Bartoletti
Illustrated by: David Christiana

Audience: 4th-6th
Genre: Fictional Picture Book

Themes: Great Depression, Christmas, Family, Love, Hope

Social Issues: Unemployment, Homelessness

Illustrations: David Christiana’s use of color set the sadness and hope found within the story. His style of art is something I have never seen before and catches the eye.

Usage: This particular book can be used in a variety of setting in the classroom including independent reading, guided reading, and reading out loud. One could introduce this story when learning about the Great Depression, true meaning of Christmas, hope, etc. Personally, I would have my students think about what a holiday such as Christmas truly means to them and the importance of family.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice story and a sad story about a dad and daughter that are homeless. They ride the trains looking for work and a good place to stay. Finally they find a nice womand to take the girl in and the dad goes off to find a job and ends up returning before Christmas.

[Dotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful children's book that can also be used with other kids by one of my favorite authors.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about Christmas set during the Great Depression is odd, to say the least. There are strong themes of family though and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this story quite a bit.

[Alice]

Christmas sticker