Dorothy Thurgood Manning

I love Christmas books. I have one whole tub full of Christmas books that I love getting out and rereading with our kids each year. If you are looking to add to your Christmas book collection, add this one to your list.

Maddie loves Christmas! Well, most of it anyway. Maddie loves to hang the lights and decorate the tree and window shop, telling her family all the gifts she wants. But, she isn't thrilled with making gifts for her family at school or making cookies with her brother. Finally, on Christmas Eve, when all Maddie can think about are all the gifts she is going to receive, she meets someone who shows her what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.....the giving.

The story is sweet and kids will be able to identify with Maddie's excitement. The book is "mostly" written in rhyming verse. I say mostly, because some of the rhymes didn't work for me or were awkward. The pattern and rhythm to the story were thrown off a few times, but I imagine only the parent reading the story would notice. The kids will delight in the vivid illustrations and getting themselves excited for the upcoming Christmas season while reading this story.

If you are looking for a reminder lesson on teaching your children that it is truly better to give than receive, this is the book for you. I think this book would be perfect for preschool to lower elementary aged kids. It's available on Kindle, paperback, and most recently, hardcover, so you can add to those special books you set out at Christmas time.… (more)