Synopsis
Winter has come early to the city, and by the time Christmas week arrives, Grace and her mother feel as if the cold wind will never stop blowing. Times are hard for everyone this year, but especially so for Grace and her mother, since Grace's father died the spring before. Christmas was always a time of cheer and celebration before Papa died, but this year, in their cold, small apartment, and with Mama working long hours for a seamstress, Christmas has lost its magic.
Publishers Weekly
Thompson (Mouse's First Christmas) beautifully retools "The Gift of the Magi," recasting O. Henry's husband and wife as a Depression-era widow and daughter. Grace sells her beloved doll in order to buy the mate to her mother's cherished figurine, which is sold to buy a doll's dress for Grace. But in contrast with O. Henry, Thompson places more emphasis on the strong emotional bonds that inspire the ill-fated gift-giving than on the ironies of the exchange. Using oil and colored pencil, Burke (My Brothers' Flying Machine) tinkers with perspective, creating unexpected compositions graced with abundant-and lovely-period details. Designed like an old-fashioned storybook, with full-page paintings punctuating lengthy text, this volume could be an excellent choice for family read-alouds. Ages 6-9. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.