WINTER CANDLE is a gorgeously illustrated book. Stacey Schuett has done her drawings in deep rich colors that evoke the warmth of the story.
Ashford's story is appealing and the type of tale I liked to read to my children when they were younger. (They can read it themselves now :)
It's
the story of a one-building neighborhood, where neighbors share and
where all sorts of fall and winter celebrations take place. What ties
all the neighbors together is their need for a light. Specifically, they
need a candle, and it's a single candle that gets shared by one family
and then the next.
Nana Clover is the first person who needs the candle. She is all prepared for Thanksgiving... except that she forgot to pick up candles at the store. She borrows a single candle from her neighbor and makes it sufficiently festive by surrounding it with pinecones and leaves.
Two weeks later it's a Jewish family in need. And so they borrow the candle from Nana Clover for their Sabbath celebrations.
I love that Jeron gives us these delightful examples of diverse families and celebrations. There is Thanksgiving and Kwanzaa, Saint Lucia's day --which is a Scandinavian winter celebration--and the Sabbath. But he also gives us something more. The last episode is about a winter storm that leaves the neighborhood in the dark. The newest family on the block is waiting for the dad and the moving van. And they use the candle to light the way home.
Nana Clover is the first person who needs the candle. She is all prepared for Thanksgiving... except that she forgot to pick up candles at the store. She borrows a single candle from her neighbor and makes it sufficiently festive by surrounding it with pinecones and leaves.
Two weeks later it's a Jewish family in need. And so they borrow the candle from Nana Clover for their Sabbath celebrations.
I love that Jeron gives us these delightful examples of diverse families and celebrations. There is Thanksgiving and Kwanzaa, Saint Lucia's day --which is a Scandinavian winter celebration--and the Sabbath. But he also gives us something more. The last episode is about a winter storm that leaves the neighborhood in the dark. The newest family on the block is waiting for the dad and the moving van. And they use the candle to light the way home.
I
love books like this because they open up an opportunity to discuss
how families are different and yet the same. And I really like the
subtle message of resilience that the author works into the story. In
each scenario there is a feeling of impending disaster! And in each
case, calming down and looking for a solution works out nicely. A good
lesson for all of us.
Pam~
WINTER CANDLE
by Jeron Ashford
Stacey Schuett (Illustrations)
Reading Information:
Page Count: 28
no reading information currently available
--sample pages available
--amazon
--review copy
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