Mortimer's Christmas Manger

by Karma Wilson, Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Overview

A holiday story to be cherished by families everywhere

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416950493
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	10/02/2007
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series; Where Is Home, Little Pip?; and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

Jane Chapman is the illustrator of over one hundred books for children, including Dilly Duckling by Claire Freedman and I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh, as well as Karma Wilson’s Bear Books series and Mortimer’s Christmas Manger. She lives with her family in Dorset, England. Visit Jane at JaneKChapman.com.

Editorial Reviews

Mortimer isn't a picky mouse, but he does want a better home; his present abode under the stairs is just too cold, too cramped, and too creepy. Hunting for crumbs one day, he makes a promising discovery: In the middle of a large, well-lit room, he finds a huge tree covered with twinkling lights and, not far away, a rodent-sized house! It's true that his home-to-be is populated by statues of shepherds and lambs, but Mortimer is a mouse on a mission. Can he build his homestead in the family manger, or is he destined to learn a valuable lesson and find an even better home? A thoroughly charming, delightfully offbeat Christmas story by the creators of Bear Snores On.

Little Mortimer Mouse craves a mouse-sized house of his own because his mouse hole is not a pleasant place-"Too cold. Too cramped. Too creepy." At Christmastime, Mortimer finds a house that is just the right size: a Nativity set with a little hay-filled bed that's a perfect fit. He moves the baby and the other statues out of the house each night so he can curl up in the manger until he overhears the Nativity story read out loud on Christmas Eve. Mortimer then realizes the meaning of the statues and the baby Jesus figure and offers a prayer to Jesus to send him a home of his own. Mortimer's prayer is answered in short order when he finds a gingerbread house set out for Christmas Eve. Mortimer is an appealing little creature in Chapman's illustrations, showing his determination to find a cozy bed, but the volume's greater appeal for families and schools will be as a simple but satisfying story that focuses on the true meaning of Christmas rather than on Santa or presents. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews