I have a rather wonderful collection of holiday books that I have been adding to over the years. They now fill three pretty good-sized shelves in my house. Looking at them inspire memories of reading them for the first time --- and the moments I re-read them --- and the magic of the stories inside. There are those that make me cry every time like THE POLAR EXPRESS by Chris Van Allsberg with its magical train ride on Christmas Eve; the ones that made me laugh like John Grisham's SKIPPING CHRISTMAS and BLUE CHRISTMAS by Mary Kay Andrews and well, I could go on and on remembering these books.
There's one that I went on a quest to find when it was first published as it was in short supply ---Robert Sabuda's THE CHRISTMAS ALPHABET --- and I also have the 10th anniversary edition of that same book. As well as Sabuda's THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS and WINTER'S TALE in all their popup splendor. Also talking popups I have David A. Carter's JINGLE BUGS and THE TWELVE BUGS OF CHRISTMAS.
One of my favorites though is a very very well-worn copy of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It's dated Christmas 1961 and says,
"To Carol
It's the Clement C. Moore story illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa. Thumbing through it I realize how much these are the illustrations I think of when I hear the words "sugarplums" and "stockings hung by the chimney."
Finding this book on my shelf inspired the feature that we are bringing you the next few weeks where authors will be sharing their favorite holiday stories of both giving and getting books at the holidays here on a daily basis. I am hoping that they inspire you to create your own holiday magic with book giving this holiday season. And may they also encourage you to put a book or two on your own holiday list.
We begin tomorrow with Mary Higgins Clark. Check back with us each day to see whose story we will be sharing.
Here's to creating holiday magic through books wherever you are.
