The Magic of a Small Town Christmas

by Megan Alexander, Hiroe Nakata (Illustrator)

Overview

From Inside Edition’s national correspondent Megan Alexander comes a sweet picture book celebrating the joys, wonders, and traditions of a small-town Christmas in the spirit of her show, Small Town Christmas.

In the town of Heartbeat Falls, where skies are crystal clear, the magic of Christmas is celebrated in many different ways: from picking the perfect tree to decorating it with glittering ornaments; from ice skating to eating yummy gingerbread cookies; from hanging handmade stockings to sharing a homecooked meal. Here, the residents know the beauty of a small town doesn’t come from its size, but from the love shared by its people, shining brightly in their eyes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665929806
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Megan Alexander is a national news correspondent, host, emcee, speaker, producer, and actress. She can be seen every evening as a correspondent on the top-rated national news magazine television show Inside Edition. She was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and graduated from Westmont College. Megan splits time between New York City and Nashville, Tennessee. She and her husband have two young sons.

Hiroe Nakata has illustrated numerous picture books including Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate; Duck Skates, Duck; Shoe Bop!; and One More Hug. Encouraged in her art by her grandfather who is a painter in Japan, Hiroe graduated from the Parsons School of Design. She currently lives and works in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

08/19/2022

PreS-Gr 2—The archetype of the idyllic small-town Christmas holiday, including its sights, sounds, and traditions, is the axis upon which this story is spun. The rhyming verse is told in a four-line cadence and describes the typical vignettes of a middle-America Christmas, such as making sweets, ice-skating on the pond, picking out a tree at a pop-up tree stand, and hanging decorations. The story culminates with the people of the town congregating for a celebratory holiday potluck. This heartwarming scene captures the true Christmas spirit of kindness to others, fellowship, and good tidings. Nakata's watercolor-and-ink illustrations utilize light and shadow in such a way that the warmth of glowing fires and twinkling lights emanates from the page. The pastoral small-town scenery is very pleasantly rendered. Outside of this, the structure and the content of the narrative are nothing new or surprising; so many fresh takes on the Christmas genre are being published, that this one fails to stand out. VERDICT More ho-hum than ho, ho, ho. This story doesn't push the category forward into new places.—Sarah Simpson

School Library Journal

2022-08-17
Spend Christmas in Heartbeat Falls.

“Nestled under smoky hills, with skies crystal and clear,” this small town is beautiful year-round, but it especially comes alive around Christmastime. From the pine-tree farm to the bakery full of gingerbread, the unique charm of the season springs up everywhere. Citizens enjoy the festive lights and skating pond as well as the church with candles in its windows that mirror the glowing stars above. Then there are the individual family traditions of baking cookies or making decorations to adorn the trees. The celebration is capped off with a communal meal and a final proclamation that a small town is measured by the “love shared by its people.” The host of the television show Small Town Christmas on UPtv, Alexander has crafted a companion piece to display her appreciation of Christmas in the country. Her verse is a bit lackluster, though the rhymes and enumerations of classic holiday traditions give the book an old-time, homey feel. Nakata’s appealing watercolor and ink illustrations detail colorful and charming scenes. While attractive, however, the book doesn’t bring anything new to the table; it’s yet another love note to a quaint Middle America Christmas. The pictures depict a racially diverse town. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cute but cliché. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews