Cranberry Christmas

Mr. Whiskers and his friends in Cranberryport return in this follow-up to Wende and Harry Devlin's Cranberry Thanksgiving, this time confronting the Christmas holidays. Grandmother and Maggie help Mr. Whiskers to clean up his home in time for his somewhat bossy sister's visit, and in the process they discover an old document that proves, once and for all, who owns the local pond. It's good news for the children in Cranberryport, who like to skate with kindly Mr. Whiskers on the ice...

Originally published in 1976, Cranberry Christmas was the second of the Devlin's fifteen-volume picture-book series set in this quaint old New England town, located on the edge of a cranberry bog. Like its predecessor, it pairs an entertaining tale with show more charming, vintage illustrations. I enjoyed visiting with these characters again - although the second title in the series, this is the fourth I have read - and continue to find Mr. Whiskers, in particular, an amusing and appealing character. Suffering Codfish, as that gentleman would say - I need to track down more of these books! show less

The second 'cranberry' book I've read - now I want the whole set! Heartwarming & nostalgic, but not sappy. Whimsical and clever but comfortably so. I loved the picture of Mr. Whiskers scrubbing the floors, and the seashell Christmas tree, and would have loved those even more when I was a child. And I do plan to try the Cranberry Cookies recipe - it looks perfect!

This was one of the first Cranberry books we read and we have a copy ourselves. This is a great series to read to children. The illustrations are great fun. We picked up a copy of this book at a Salvation Army thrift store, but now the Devlin books are all collectibles. What a find!

This is a nice story about an older man who just wants to enjoy Christmas without the grumpy neighbor or nosy sister stepping in. Mr. Whiskers seeks help from neighbors to get what he wants for the holidays. This would be a great book to read to children around the holidays.