On Christmas Eve

Rating:
Summary: A Warm and Beautiful Chistmas Tale
Review: A perfect holiday story, with fantastic illustrations to match. If you are looking for a book that truly captures the magic of Christmas, this is it!

Rating:
Summary: magical and ominous -- disappointing
Review: As a family is travelling by car to visit relatives, a heavy snowstorm forces them to stop in a shabby motel on Christmas Eve. The older family members grimly accept the disappointment of the delay, the baby is happily oblivious, but the young boy worries about missing Santa Claus. Mother reassures him that "Santa always finds a way," and in the middle of the night Santa comes for a magical visit! The illustrations of the snowy, starry night, wisps of frosty smoke, the friendly reindeer and Santa are indeed touched with magic. The hyper-realistic style of the other illustrations shows the grown-ups looking very gloomy and casts an ominous pall over the story that is never developed nor clarified. The story line is very thin. The heartwarming message that Christmas enchantment can be found even in shabby surroundings never really comes through.

Rating:
Summary: the best christmas eve book
Review: This is a beauteous picture book-- very magical writing and pictures. It is a touching story but not sentimental, and I love how gentle it is. A great snuggling book. Perfect reading on Christmas Eve!