The Kingfisher Book of Classic Christmas Stories

by Ian Whybrow

Overview

From traditional tales to Yuletide legends from around the world, this timeless collection of fourteen Christmas classics is perfect for the whole family to share aloud.

Classic Christmas Stories is a beautiful, festive anthology that includes favourite stories such as "The Fir Tree", "The Nutcracker" and "The First Christmas". Tales by Louisa May Alcott and L. M. Montgomery, and extracts from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows are perfect for reading around the Christmas tree or as a bedtime story.

Each specially selected story features an introduction by award-winning author Ian Whybrow, and is beautifully illustrated throughout.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780753479896
Publisher:	Kingfisher
Publication date:	08/13/2024
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ian Whybrow is a hugely popular children's writer with over a hundred books to his name, including the bestselling Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs series. His books for Macmillan include Classic Christmas Stories, The Christmas Bear and the Say Hello series.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	6
	The First Christmas	9
	Old Pierre's Christmas Visitors--A French legend	19
	The Elves and the Shoemaker--A German fairy tale	27
	A Very Big Cat--A Norse legend	33
	Becky's Christmas Dream	41
	The Nutcracker	51
	Christmas Every Day	63
	The Cratchits' Christmas Dinner (from A Christmas Carol)	75
	Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket	83
	Christmas at Mole End (from The Wind in the Willows)	99
	A Gift from the Heart--A Mexican legend	109
	The Legend of St. Nicholas--A Dutch tale	117
	Befana and the Three Wise Men--An Italian legend	123
	The Fir Tree--A Scandinavian fairy tale	131
	Notes on the Authors	142
	Acknowledgments	144

Editorial Reviews

The Kingfisher Book of Classic Christmas Stories, edited by Ian Whybrow, illus. by Paul Hess and others, consists of standards such as a retelling of "The Nutcracker" and the legends of the poinsettia ("A Gift from the Heart") and Befana (tied to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6) as well as "Becky's Christmas Dream" by Louisa May Alcott and "Christmas at Mole End," an excerpt from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Red foil accents in the jacket of this weighty volume earmark it for gift-giving. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-4-This handsome collection of 14 stories includes selections that were previously published and new renditions of old legends and traditional tales. There is a nice balance of well-known classics, such as "The Cratchits' Christmas Dinner" from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, with lesser-known tales, such as William Dean Howells's 1892 "Christmas Every Day." Other authors include Fiona Waters, Vivian French, and Saviour Pirotta. Whybrow provides a foreword and a cheerful introduction to each selection. While not an essential purchase, the bright illustrations by a variety of artists make this a fine choice for libraries needing another Christmas anthology.-E. M. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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