ABC's of Christmas

Clarion Rating: 3 out of 5

Those who believe that the December holidays have become too much of a multilateral commercial arms race will like the quiet simplicity of ABC’s of Christmas. This book features traditional holiday decorations and peaceful home scenes. It promotes reading for those just getting started by associating each letter of the alphabet with items such as:

C is for candle glowing on the windowsill.

The aim is to impart a sense of nostalgia to those who provide the laps and help with the few tougher words. Although the exteriors of houses are not old-fashioned the author has made a choice not to include any cars or electronics beyond the wires powering tree lights.

Gary L. Pratt is an elementary school teacher residing in Florida. Despite his location all outdoor images show snowy landscapes. One nice touch is:

“V is for violin playing on the radio.”

Beside that text a radio emits musical notation and a stream of tiny violins.

Sneaking subtly into each scene is a minuscule elf. Young children will enjoy picking him out as was proven with Martin Handford’s highly popular Where’s Waldo series although there is less clutter to hide in here. The key holiday image is the Christmas tree which makes repeat appearances.

This book is intended for younger children.

Reviewed by Todd Mercer

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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