CM Magazine: Merry Christmas, Mary Christmas!

________________ CM . . . . Volume XXIV Number 18. . . . January 12, 2017

cover
Merry Christmas, Mary Christmas!

Laurie Friedman. Illustrated by Kathryn Durst.
Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books (Distributed in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son), 2017.
32 pp., hardcover, $24.99.
ISBN 978-1-4677-9261-5.

Subject Headings:
Names, Personal-Juvenile fiction.
Christmas-Juvenile fiction.
Community life-Juvenile fiction.
Stories in rhyme.

Preschool-grade 3 / Ages 3-8.

Review by Amy E Dickerson.

*** /4

excerpt:

Santa looked kindly at Mary. “I’m not sure there is such a thing as too much Christmas,” he said.

Friedman’s story follows the less-than-festive Mary Christmas who feels that her family’s approach to the holidays is much larger than necessary with an oversized tree, too many presents and a caroling family dog. In her attempt to love the Christmas season as much as her family does, Mary seeks answers from the Santa at the mall. He suggests that others would very much like the celebration that the Christmas family enjoys. In a Grinch-like turn, the story promotes a lesson about the gift of giving and sharing of the holiday spirit: “They all enjoyed the Christmas celebration, which seemed, to Mary, just the right size.”

Durst’s delightful and colourful illustrations bring the story to life. They capture both the emotion and daily life of the Christmas family, as well as the festiveness of the season.

Merry Christmas, Mary Christmas! would make an ideal addition to a primary classroom holiday library. It also would be a great read-aloud, accompanied with a discussion about the true spirit of the holiday season.

Recommended.

Amy E Dickerson has been teaching since the autumn of 2013 and is presently completing a Master of Education at Nipissing University in North Bay, ON.

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