- townspeople gather every Christmas Eve to see a torch lit, which brings “brightness and warmth of Christmas to the entire world”
- a young boy sacrificially helps another
- wonky message (see below)
Type: picture book
Ages: 4-8
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Illustrator: Daniel Craig
This book started out quite well. It was intriguing and unique and even shared a clever line: “In your hurry to keep Christmas, you have forgotten Christmas.”
But it went wonky after that. (Remember, all my reviews come from a biblical worldview.) The ultimate idea of the story was summarized, “The truest gift of Christmas is the gift of self.” The author is declaring that serving others and being generous is the best thing about Christmastime. No one would disagree with that being a very important thing, but the truest gift is the one our Creator God gifted–His only Son came to earth as a baby in order to be the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for the sins of believers. We celebrate this gift as well as enjoy being generous with the hope it brings.
Why did I have a problem with this book and not other secular Christmas books? I considered this and realized that it’s because this one was written in a very moralistic way, like a fable or an allegory. We were obviously being set up for a lesson to learn. It’s not like a Jan Brett book about animals that squeeze into a winter hat (which we love); no, it’s intended for something more poignant.
Fast forward through all my analysis of this book and, lo and behold, turns out the author is Mormon. This made everything make sense. It explains the “off” feeling I’m having difficulty articulating. Regardless of the book’s content, however, I do not and will never support a Mormon author with a good review. You’ll find me a fierce defender of God’s Word and when there are people out there twisting His truth and leading others astray, I don’t hold back.
Maybe I’ll write an article on more of those reasons one day…
In the meantime, I’d advise you skipping this book. Lots of better Christmas books out there!