The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

Ever since I asked Divya to enable me to post at her blog, there has been only one question that was bothering me - what book do I review because I have read tons in 2014 and purchased equal amounts. Thankfully I found the answer when I went to work on Jan 2nd after a much deserved break .

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski is what I happened to pick at a Best deals on books  facebook page recently , little knowing its story . From its cover it seemed to be a story about a little boy and his family  and a boy probably who was all of 5 .

Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley, but he is always alone and never smiles. No one knows that he is grappling with the loss of his young wife and infant son,whose mementos he keeps locked in an unopened drawer

However one early winter's day, a widow and her 7 year old son knock at his door with a gentle request -  she requests him to crave a new manger scene for them by Christmas and requests that her son watch him work since the child hopes to be a woodcarver one day.

So stern and strict is the wood carver that the little boy  even dreads moving his leg while watching him carve , while his mom sits at another corner knitting

You would probably let out a little gasp as the boy gathers courage to correct the best wood carver in town by stating that the sheep he is carving look a tad bit sad and they were supposed to be cheerful because they were meant for baby Jesus

The widow and her son show up often at his door, the little boy not mincing words in letting the best woodcarver know that his carvings were not perfect because the cow in the manger was supposed to be proud because it was meant for baby Jesus.

By now Jonathan has gotten used to the little boy and him pointing out mistakes in his carvings so much so that Jonathan asks the little boy how exactly he wants the rest of the scene to be presented before he begins working on them.

There is also a beautiful scene where Jonathan holds the little boy's hands and teaches him to carve a robin.

You would tear up when the woodcarver cannot get the drawings of Mary and the baby right
and finally pulls out a portrait of his dead wife holding his infant son. He holds it close to his chest , sheds a tear or two . He finally takes this picture to his workbench and his fingers work quickly and surely .  He works all though the night.


Early next morning,  on Christmas, the widow has a surprise at her door . It is the wood carver with the  nativity scene complete .  The nativity scene is exactly what the little boy had envisaged - 2 very happy sheep because they were with Jesus, a proud cow and an angel , a serious and a caring Joseph, Mary wearing a rough woolen shawl , looking down and loving her precious baby son. Jesus was smiling and reaching up to touch his mothers face

The story ends with the wood carver holding hands with the 7 year old and his mother and making it to Christmas service.

The village boys no longer called him Mr.Gloomy  because for the very first time they see Jonathan throw back his head, showing his eyes as clear blue as an August sky and laugh.

This is a delightful Christmas story with a touch of romance.

'Tis the season!

First appeared on  Parent Edge blog

I cannot believe that we are already onto the end of December this year! In a way, December is special for various reasons – December signals the onset of winter which ranges from mild to severe depending on which part of the country one resides in and thus is touted as one of the best times for travel around tropical destinations. December is a month to reflect on the turn of events in the year that has gone by and may be plan for what’s to be in store in the year ahead! Well, December also is a time to get into the spirit of Christmas and lose oneself in its trappings. Whether one celebrates Christmas or not at home, you cannot miss the season’s specialties – the carol singing at a near-by church or at a neighbour’s house, star mounted houses, malls and restaurants with Christmas decorations, sinful Christmas treats galore at bakeries or Santa sightings that excite not just the little ones  - the fa-la-la fun is everywhere!!!:-) 

So how about a few Christmas reads to get warmed up for the Christmas season ? Besides the regular Christmas reads such as “The Sweet Smell of Christmas” by Patricia Scarry  or “The Night before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore  or “The Polar Express”  Chris Van Allsburg or any of the Christmas specials on popular children’s books’ characters, I came across the vintage Little Golden book series on Christmas stories brought out by Random house publications. As many as six titles centered around Christmas, this series is ideal for younger kids to get acquainted with the story of how Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem in “The Christmas Story” by Jane Werner and Eloise Wilken, or the story of the darkhorse reindeer named Rudolph who became Santa’s guiding light in “Rudolph, the red nosed Reindeer”  by Rick Bunsen and Arkadia or  story with a Disney twist in “Disney’s Mickey Mouse flies the Christmas  Mail” by Annie North Bedford and the story of how animals welcomed baby Jesus in “Animals’ Christmas eve” by Gale Wiersum and Alexandra Steel Morgan. This classic series throws light on the spirit and meaning of Christmas with the aid of poetic texts and simple yet charming illustrations that are sure to engage your little one!     

 

If you are looking for a Christmas read for older kids who read by themselves, then “Cool Christmas stories”  compiled by Elizabeth Holland is a worth a look. This book includes Christmas stories by Sam Hay, Dyan Sheldon and Martin Waddell. While some of the stories seem to thrive on traditional seasonal trappings like Santa sliding down the chimney to fill up the stockings with gifts, or the concept of Man on the moon, something I feel the young readers may have outgrown, the stories however do make an interesting read. The book can also double up as a read-aloud, if you have an emergent reader not yet comfortable with devouring a chapter book on his own. Though minimal, the illustrations are whacky enough to make our ever jaded/skeptical  younger generation take notice!:-) Stories such as the hilarious  fantasy-within-a-fantasy adventure of Santa facing trouble during the delivery of gifts in “Troublesome year for Father Christmas” by Sally Grindley  or the relatable story of a young girl who’s persistence gets her parents to give in and almost celebrate Christmas in “Not quite Christmas” by Dyan Sheldon  and the daring story of a girl spreading the warmth and cheer of Christmas that wins over a  fire-spitting dragon in “Imelda and the Dragon” by Martin Waddell  or the realistic take on the reason behind Stagger, one of Santa’s reindeers, being Santa’s weakest link in “The Clumsy Reindeer” by Elizabeth Holland - are all sure to make it a cool  Christmas vacation for young readers this year! So here’s wishing everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!!!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

" We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year"! 



 

This Christmas carol normally sung at the end of a recital, rings in my mind every year during Christmas.  Having studied in a convent school, Christmas has always been more than just a holiday. Christmas always takes me back to school - whether it is carol singing, or crib making competition  or playing secret Santa or singing jingle bells during Santa's appearance at the end of the Christmas program, Christmas was always special. When we were in the US, the spirit of Christmas was so infectious that it had us decorate a small little Christmas tree at home. Last two years have been rather quiet except for the mandatory appearance of our in-house Santa!  

 

 

 

This time around however, I found several reminders of the Christmas that used to be - non-stop caroling at a church  near my place of work ( a déjà vu of school days) or the Christmas party hosted by my boss in her house ( got me nostalgic about our party for friends in Portland) or "star" mounted houses along our drive  around Mangalore area where we normally spend our winter vacation(reminding me of the Xmas decorations on Peacock lane in Portland) - all this has me enveloped in the Christmas spirit once again! Merry Christmas everyone!!   

 

Ever since 2011, Christmas has always meant gifts from our in-house Santa and Abhay was glad that Santa didnt disappoint him this year!:-) This year for Christmas, I read a story that was featured in this month's Highlights Champs titled "A Motel Christmas" by Marilyn Christmas and art by Phyllis Pollema Cahill. Naresh is excited to drive to his grandparents' house for Christmas Eve along with his parents but are standed mid-route due to a blizzard forcing them to make a stopover. Naresh doesn't like to spend his Christmas Eve without his grandparents but they have no choice but to check into a motel along the way. As the motel owner Mr D'souza checks them into the last available room, Naresh  notices a nice little Christmas tree put up in the lobby. He compliments Mr. D'souza on the Christmas tree, he learns that Mr. D'souza had put up the tree with the hope of celebrating Christmas with his son and his family, whose flights were cancelled due to the snow storm thus making Mr. D'souza sad. Just as Naresh and his father brought their packed food from their car, Naresh hits upon an idea - to eat in with Mr. D'souza. Soon it was not just Naresh and his family, but other guests too join in making it a special Christmas Eve not only for Mr . D'souza but also Naresh that in a way made up for not being around at his Grandparents'. Christmas is not only about meeting family and friends but also spreading cheer and making new friends along the way! Hope u enjoy the Christmas vacation with your friends and family! Happy holidays everyone! 

 

The Xmas Season!

 

Since our big move back to India, we have pretty much settled down in namma Bengaluru and found ourselves not thinking of the US as often as we used to when we had just got back. But the only time I cannot but help think of the US is during Christmas! Being more than a year since we moved back to India, I realize that I can no longer claim the “repatriate” status (a term I recently discovered in Shobha Narayan’s “Return to India” used to describe the US returned) but I guess we can always take some leeway during the Christmas and vicariously indulge in the fa-la-la frenzy of the holiday season in the West. 

So though we didn’t put up any Christmas tree like we did in the US (with our Christmas tree  now lighting up our friend’s house in Portland), we still managed to hang  Christmas stockings and had our in-house Santa call on Abhay and his cousin Vikranth with gifts!

 

Whenever I am on the look-out for an Indian publication on special events, I can always count on Pratham publications to have one.  So I had Abhay read “Sam Christmas Present” by Annie Besant and Alicia Douza a Level 1 book brought out by Pratham publications. Sam is a curious about what was his Christmas gift this year. When he asked his mom and dad, they both tell him that is hidden in a gift-hunting. Below his father’s desk, he finds a gift wrapped box but with tag that tells him that the gift is for aunt Juju. He chances upon another gift wrapped box but is disappointed to see his uncle Alfie’s name on it’s tag. Wherever he searched, he found gift for someone else but not him! But as soon as Sam resignedly sat on the floor, he spotted a gift under his bed! Did Sam open it or put it back in what was supposed to the secret place? Well, Abhay didn’t agree with Sam’s decision to put it  back under his bed and supposedly wait for Christmas! So here's wishing Abhay and everyone else a little patience this Christmas season! Merry Xmas and have a happy new year!

Merry Christmas

It’s that time of the year again that has us nostalgic of our stay in the US. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I wish we could disapparate ( in Harry Potter language)  to Portland just to experience the holiday frenzy that would have enveloped the entire US!  It may sound like I’m exaggerating, but one must see it to believe it – Christmas spirit is so infectious that it rubs off a little on even the most impervious ones. In fact, we had even got our own little Christmas tree and hung all the embellishments that traditionally go with the Christmas centerpiece. So when we see Giant Christmas trees at malls and shops in Bangalore, we miss our little tree that we left behind in the US. So much so that even Abhay lamented over the lack of some of the customary decorations on a Christmas tree we saw at a shop…”Amma they don’t have ginger bread cookie or a snow flake on the tree” were his exact words! Anyway, Christmas tree or no Christmas Tree, we still had our in-house Santa come in with gifts! J

So yesterday on Christmas day, I read “Merry Christmas Mom and Dad” a book from the Little Critter series by Mercer Mayer. Little Critter is all set to make it a special Christmas for his mom and dad. He first attempts to put together a Christmas wreath but it falls apart as soon as it is hung on the door. He tries his hand at decorating the ginger bread cookies that his mom bakes but cant resist from tasting them. He goes to the toy shop to look for a present for his parents but gets confused as there are too many toys to choose from. So he leaves it to Santa to pick a present for his parents. He picks out a Christmas tree that is too big to take home; He plans on putting up the star on top of the tree all by himself but ended up seeking the help of his dad, after all. On Christmas eve, he tries hard to go to bed early but is just too excited to fall asleep. Finally, on the morning of Christmas day, he stirs out of bed at the crack of dawn and instead of waiting for his parents to wake up; he goes downstairs to find his presents lay at foot the Christmas tree! He then goes up to wake up his sleeping parents with a card that reads “Merry Krismas Mom and Dad”!! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Most wondeful time of the year!!

For people eagerly awaiting Christmas to indulge in its festive spirit and for people waiting for all this holiday mania to be over so that life goes back to being normal….. as the song goes “ Most wonderful time of the year” is finally here!!! Being a universal festival for people here, Christmas also means a complete shutdown…..everything from grocery stores to restaurants are closed for the day. So it means you have a holiday on hand with nowhere to go!! This sort of complete closure is unusual in India as we are a country of multiple festivals…….if one is closed for Diwali, the next door shop has its turn during Id!!

Today I read the book “ Jingle Bells” by Iza Trapani which is more akin to ‘Around the world Christmas’ book letting us into the Christmas traditions in different countries. Abhay liked seeing the Mexican Pinata, Swedish Gnomes and Filipino star-shaped lanterns that represent Christmas festivities in different parts of the globe.

I was curious to find out how this day is observed here in the US and wanted a book that covers it all and I found a vintage one… "The Sweet Smell of Christmas” by Patricia Scarry. This book that I read to Abhay was a scratch and sniff version with six different smells of Christmas……and believe me…...kids love to sniff the essence of apple pie, pine tree, candy cane, gingerbread cookie and the best of all hot chocolate, all of these being the time tested Christmas traditions followed in the US. We attempted at some of these …of course using the ‘ready to use’ packages ( something we’ve mastered in the US, I guess). I bought some pre-baked ginger bread cookies with a fully equipped icing tube and embellishments that Abhay and I worked on. I tried my hand at Apple crumb pie which I thought turned out fine but Abhay’s final verdict was otherwise. We also had an improvised in-house Santa come in with gifts for Abhay…..Ho Ho Ho!!!!

Merry Christmas to one and all!!!

Night before Christmas - Santa at home!

As most people living here in the US know, the frenetic holiday rush is at its peak today being the day before Christmas. Like most Indian immigrants, I am not traditionally into celebrating Christmas except for the seasonal trappings like Christmas tree, hanging stockings by the fireplace and wrapping gifts for kids. So the downside of this season being heavy traffic in strip malls, difficulty finding parking, malls getting suffocating, serpentine queues at check-out counters!!! Remember the song “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” ……I’d rather be singing…. …..“ It’s beginning to look a lot like …India” !! Well…….it only goes to show festival frenzy is the same everywhere!

The day before Christmas or the day before any popular festival for that matter is a day of heightened excitement and anticipation and in some ways better than the day of the festival itself!! For kids celebrating Christmas, it’s seems like the longest day of the year as 24 hours seem like a lifetime of waiting. Since it’s the day before Christmas ….…I cannot do without reading “The Night before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. A Christmas Eve classic on Saint Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus who comes dashing through the snow on a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and slides down the chimney to fill up the stockings with goodies for everyone…..when “not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse”! We grew up with Santa stories too….but the “chimney” part didn’t really seem to fit in as most houses in India don’t have one.

One book on what to expect the night before Christmas is “ The Polar Express” written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. The Pyjama clad children get a dream ride of their life on the Polar Express taking them to the North Pole where they meet Santa and his elves. Abhay was more fascinated to hear about the train journey than the destination it pulled into….Santa’s workshop. Even when we took him for a photo op. with Santa in a local mall…..he wasn’t as eager as the other kids. It seemed as if it was more for his mom than for himself. Not to mention….my husband agrees!!! Well....I am after all …reliving my childhood!!!:-)

A Boy with a crayon

If you have children, you’ll know they are into different phases during their childhood, some of them being nice …making you feel like a job well done…..and some so annoying that you cannot wait for it to pass. Whatever the phase is…….. “Anne wala pal jaane wala hai”…..Whatever comes…goes!!! My four year old son Abhay is now obsessively into drawing…….which in itself is something to be proud of …he prefers staying in his room all day doodling and drawing instead of watching his favorite TV shows!!!Im like….Man!!! This is too good to be true……but lest I forget…….I have brace myself as this may only be temporary!! I guess I have already jinxed it by making a mention of this in the blog!!! (Oh God…Touchwood!!!)

For those moms who are in the exact same phase as I am…….a must read is “ Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson. I remember when I first checked out this book at the library, the man at the check-out counter said it had been one of his favorite books as a child. I wondered…how old is this book…..as I flipped through the pages, it didn’t take me long to realize why this was a classic.

Today I read about his Christmas journey “Harold at the North Pole” by the same author. The imaginative kid with a purple crayon is all set for Christmas eve…there’s one problem…he has to find a Christmas tree. So donning his winter cap and slipping on his mittens, he starts off his adventure to the North woods creating the much needed snow and Snowman with the power of his purple crayon. With so much snow around, he was mighty sure that this was the North Pole, where Santa's workshop lay buried in a snowdrift as big as a house. ‘That can’t be’….he thinks…..Santa cannot be snowed in on Christmas eve. Acting fast ….he comes to the rescue of Santa and his eight reindeers and almost gets a peek into Santa’s bag of toys!! Refraining himself against all odds, he waves good bye, letting Santa do his job of delivering toys. He is still left where it all began……in search of a Christmas tree creating which he does a splendid job of…..all with his purple crayon. Makes me want to say to my son……..All world’s a canvas ....create what you want with a crayon of your choice.

Christmas with Friends!!

Christmas is all about friends and family, showing your loved ones what they mean to you and hoping the same from them. Today, I read a book about two best friends and how the spirit of Christmas only strengthens their bond. I’m of course talking about the adorable Toot and Puddle and specifically “I'll be home for Christmas” by Holly Hobbie. Toot is a globe-trotting piglet who loves to travel and explore the world. His best friend Puddle is the opposite for whom 'home sweet home' is his entire world and a cozy cottage in Woodstock Pocket is his paradise on earth. The book begins with a postcard from Ireland sent by Toot to his best buddy that he’ll be home for Christmas asking Puddle to wait until he's in to decorate the Christmas tree. Puddle can’t quite contain his excitement as he bakes Toot’s favorite fruit cake and brings home a Christmas tree in anticipation of his dear friend’s arrival. Meanwhile it almost seems like Toot cannot make it him due to a heavy snowstorm on the way until he meets a friendly stranger who gives him a ride on his sleigh………it doesn’t take much to guess who the stranger is!!

Another book on spending Christmas with friends is “ Froggy’s Best Christmas” by Jonathan London and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. Froggy has been around for Christmas before, but technically this is his first Christmas that he decides to celebrate instead of sleeping it way as he did before. Though Froggy is faintly aware of how things are done during Christmas, he wastes no time in getting into the holiday mood. He along with his enthusiastic Beaver friend, Max gather all their hibernating friends and soak in some holiday traditions like finding a tree, wrapping presents, caroling. This book is closer to heart…….though this is our third Christmas in the US, it feels like the first one as the last two were spent travelling to India and we didn’t pay much attention to the all pervasive holiday splendor that you can’t help being enveloped in, especially if you’ve lived here for a while. When in Rome, live like Romans!

Christmas special!

This season has everyone doing something special for Christmas from Curious George to Thomas and Friends. One of the Christmas books recommended by the library’s reading list was “Olivia helps with Christmas” by Ian Falconer. As always, Olivia does more than what is expected which sometimes does not produce desirable results. “There’s so much to do”……Olivia says as she is all busy readying the house for Santa’s visit. Being the pushy offspring that she is, Olivia leaves no stone unturned to make Christmas Eve perfect as a result stressing her parents …as the tables turn. Abhay enjoyed this book as he saw Olivia impatiently waiting for Santa as she tossed and turned unable to sleep the night before Christmas. On the Christmas morning, Olivia and her siblings can’t wait to open their presents that Santa has left for them by the Christmas tree. Olivia in turn has a gift for her parents…….her self-portrait that she claims deserves to be hung above the fire place….this is one self-obsessed piglet….much like all our kids!!!

Another highly recommended book that I read today was Fancy Nancy’s ‘A Spendiferous Christmas” by Jane O ‘Connor and illustrated by Robin Priess Glasser. Christmas time is when Nancy is in her best element as everything around her turns fancy just as she expects. Nancy’s patience runs out as she waits for her grandpa to arrive to fix the sparkly tree topper on the glittering Christmas tree. However, when a small mishap threatens to upset her plans, her grandpa's wise words saves the day…..When life gives you a cracked egg, make eggnog!!