One of a series of picture-books from author Mary Calhoun and illustrator Erick Ingraham about Henry, an adventurous Siamese cat - the first appears to have been Cross-Country Cat, published in 1979 - Henry the Christmas Cat follows it eponymous feline hero as he saves the village Christmas pageant, by tracking down Bonnie, a runaway lamb. With all the markings of a Suffolk sheep, and a voice that Bonnie will follow, Henry is the ideal "sheepcat," proving that felines do have a place in the Nativity...

I can't say that I was especially blown away by this feline Christmas tale, although it was pleasant enough, and I found the illustrations quite engaging. The scene where Henry nuzzles Bonnie, in the bluish snowy darkness, was just lovely! I can't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed this more, though, if I'd read the previous Henry books... ( )