Y'all know I'm a sucker for children's books, right? Love 'em. Even more than children's books? I love Christmas children's books, so I jumped at the chance to read and review The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving by Dandi Daley Mackall, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey.
The story begins with Nick, dragged along with his father to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. Gift giving is far from his mind, however--he'd rather think about all the things he wants for himself--when he chances upon a mall Santa, who tells Nick a story that changes his perspective.
The mall Santa tells the story of another Nicholas, who lived long ago. In the legend, Nicholas sees needs all around him, and wonders how he can help. One snowy Christmas eve, Nicholas remembers visiting the holy land and how his mother told him about the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. He remembers that Jesus is the greatest gift, and decides to give gifts on Christmas to those in need.
This is a really sweet story, and I love that the author emphasizes Jesus' birth as the reason for Christmas and the reason for giving gifts. Nicholas is merely responding to God's gift with joy and generosity. While the exact details of the life of the original St. Nicholas are unknown, I love this author's interpretation. The illustrations are gorgeous as well.
Bottom line: This is a sweet story, which emphasizes the importance of giving.
I received this book for free from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks for the story.
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