Merry and Bright: Christmas Stories for All Ages
Jackie McMillan - October 31, 2024
Continued Sense of Wonder, which is an open event for adults who enjoy reading books written for young people, will be discussing Christmas books on Wednesday, November 20 at 7pm. Come along and bring your favourite Christmas story to share and learn about other books that celebrate Christmas.
There is nothing new about the Christmas publishing business. According to the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas available on DVD from the library, cash-strapped Charles Dickens stumbled upon the idea of publishing a Christmas themed story. This became A Christmas Carol, first published in 1843. The library has several editions, with a variety of illustrators, of this haunting tale, including in the Charles Dickens Collection in the Heritage Room.
But the poem Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, first published anonymously in 1823, pre-dates A Christmas Carol. Now better known as The Night Before Christmas or 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the poem was attributed to Clement Clarke Moore in 1837 and has been reproduced often, including with a Kiwi twist.
Another 19th Century American writer, Louisa May Alcott, produced one of the most moving portrayals of a family Christmas day published in 1868 in Little Women.
Other classic Christmas books you might like to revisit this year are:
The traditional Christmas carol, The 12 days of Christmas, or the Kiwi take on it, The Pukeko in a Ponga Tree.
The Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
J. R. R Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas.
For a Christmas story in a classic New Zealand setting, you cannot beat The Christmas Caravan by Jennifer Beck, illustrated by Dunedin's Robyn Belton.
For a humorous take on the original Christmas story look for Nicholas Allan's Jesus' Christmas Party told from the innkeeper's point of view.
For a Christmas story with a Christmas message look for Barbara Robinson's 1972 novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever which is being released as a film in November 2024. Read the book before watching the film!
May your Christmas be merry and bright.