An Amish Christmas (Aladdin Picture Books) [Paperback]

Richard Ammon (Author), Pamela Patrick (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Aladdin Picture Books

Simple joys like sliding in the snow, singing carols, and sharing gifts with family members are what an Amish Christmas are all about. Here's a look at the customs of these plain-living folk with Pamela Patrick's appealing, festive art.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How does a young Amish boy spend the days surrounding Christmas? From ice skating on his uncle's pond to the school Christmas pageant, An Amish Christmas introduces holiday routines and Amish way to young readers. The illustrations are painted in vibrant colors and a realistic style. A charming book. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Christmas without Santa Claus? Such a thing does exist, as Ammon (Growing Up Amish) shows in this enlightening and refreshing look at the holiday customs of Amish farm families. An Amish Christmas also comes without decorated trees and, of course, without twinkling lights?but it's celebrated over two days instead of one. Families exchange gifts (a wallet, a pocket knife, writing paper, a book) and visit with relatives and friends, but only after farm chores are finished. There's plenty of fun, too: sledding, skating, singing and eating cookies. Ammon will pique the reader's interest with snatches of Pennsylvania Dutch and glimpses inside a one-room schoolhouse. Patrick emphasizes the timelessness of Amish ways and suggests the characters' devotion by the illuminated expressions on their faces. Text borders of quilt-block motifs enhance the mood. Ages 5-10.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; Reprint edition (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689838506
• ISBN-13: 978-0689838507
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,694,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A warm celebration of Amish life, November 21, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Amish Christmas (Hardcover)

"An Amish Christmas" combines an informative text by Richard Ammon with illutrations by Pamela Patrick. The text is the first-person narration of an Amish boy who tells about his life and the way his family celebrates Christmas.

The text captures many interesting details of Amish life. Particularly interesting is the presentation of the bilingual culture of this Amish community, whose members speak both Pennsylvania Dutch (which is actually a dialect of German) and English. Ammon includes a number of Pennsylvania Dutch words and phrases, with translations, in the text. Example: "Siss am schneea" ("It's snowing").

Ammon's intelligent text is wonderfully complemented by Patrick's beautiful illustrations. Her style is realistic and colorful, and she superbly captures the facial expressions of the Amish children. There are many wonderful images and details: a horse's breath visible on a frosty December day, a colorful patterned quilt, a friendly snowball "fight," and more. Simply marvelous.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas cultural adventure, November 18, 2003

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amish Christmas (Turtleback)

This book is filled with the details of how Christmas is celebrated in the Amish community. It traces the actions of a boy and his younger sister, during Christmas Eve, the two days of Christmas, and the following day. We meet the boy's family and learn about their Christmas customs. Interspersed in the text are Pennsylvania Dutch phrases, together with their meanings. The book both satisfies and develops curiosity about cultural differences. It shows children an example of how people do things differently, yet deep-down, many of the beliefs are the same. The book is suitable for older kids, with about 2000 words.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and captivating, October 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: An Amish Christmas (Hardcover)

The beautiful illustrations in this book only enhance the simple story of how the Amish celebrate the Christmas holiday. Narrated by a young Amish boy, readers are quickly transported into the Amish world and the Christmas season. Great for readers of all ages.