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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A new Christmas classic for my house., January 9, 2005
This review is from: The Blacksmith's Gift : A Christmas Story (Hardcover)
This book is amazing. I got it home a few days ago and last night I decided to read it. It's a little long for young children (ages 3 and 5) so I read it to myself. This will definately be one we put in the special "Christmas" box, which contains books like The Polar Express, and other books that we only bring out for Christmas so that the stories are looked forward to and remain "special".
I had tears in my eyes by page 10. My wife was busy doing other stuff and my kids were playing, so I just decided to keep reading and hope that nobody saw me. Halfway through the book I had tears dropping on a regular basis. There were a few nitpicky things I had thought of in the first few pages that I would remember to be critical about, but by this time I couldn't even remember what they were. Incredible warmth. That is what I kept thinking as I read this. The author gave them incredible warmth. I'm a sucker for kids, and as a result, most of this story just absolutely broke my heart. Dan wrote in a way that made me connect with the main character even though I have children of my own, but could imagine what it would be like if I had never had them. By the end of the book I couldn't even talk out loud to my wife or kids because my voice was too shaky.
This made me cry, and I loved every minute of it. I would rank it right up with Max Lucado's stories about Wemmicks (if you are familiar with those), and it is better than most of his. I can see that the problem I will probably have is that I don't know if I will ever be able to read this to my kids because I will probably start crying. I don't have a problem crying in front of my kids, and several stories have made me do that, and over time I have gotten over it (to a degree), but I know this will only come out during Christmas, so I doubt I will ever get "used" to the emotions it stirs.
The illustrations were also fantastic. The main character actually looks a lot like the picture of the author. I found that interesting, and also made the illustrations more fun to "study" rather than just glance at. Kudos to the illustrator. I also loved the illustrator's line in the back about thanking his daughter for teaching him that nothing is real unless you can bite it (paraphrased). It was a good laugh after a good cry.
Fantastic book. I hope you write many more, and I will promise to get them.
Just a note. I don't want anyone reading this to think that I viewed this as a sad book, because it isn't. It had a great ending, and there is so much joy in it. It definately will have a very broad appeal.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressed!, January 7, 2005
This review is from: The Blacksmith's Gift : A Christmas Story (Hardcover)
This is a great Christmas story with a bit of Norwegian heritage!
After reading this story, I learned that - a beautiful dollhouse is created, purpose is found (Santa Claus realizes he should give gifts every year), the love of God is revealed (a sweet gift from a little girl to Santa represents God's love), and something legendary is born (the legend of Santa Claus!)
If you are concerned about the religious nature of the story, well, it IS about Christmas - Christ's day, as the story says, so there are a few religious references. There is a nativity near a church and Santa does pray in the story. For me, that made the story even more compelling, as it understood that there is a reason the day is called Christmas.
I think this is a wonderful addition to the Santa Claus legend! It is primarily secular, but does fully understand that Christmas has the word 'Christ' in it.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enthralling tale for children... and adults!, October 20, 2004
This review is from: The Blacksmith's Gift : A Christmas Story (Hardcover)
This book has a wonderful message of hope, generosity and love that is too-often absent from modern Christmas stories. The character of "Papa" was believable in every aspect, from his tangible sense of loss at being childless to his amazing optimism and prevailing hope. Although he was not a father, he has become Father Christmas to millions of wee ones throughout the world.
The setting (both time and place) was beautiful, and the amazing illustrations are more than enough to pull a reader deeply into the story. Although some may find the vocabularly seemingly "too hard" for young children, I believe that introducing such words is an important part of preparing a child to become an avid reader and an active listener. The meaning of words can always be explained, and a child will remember these lessons in the future, to his or her advantage. Adults may be intimidated by such things, but children are learners who are always willing to accept new knowledge and ideas. I appreciate that this book did not "dumb down" the vocabulary, nor underestimate the capability of children to understand and empathize with emotions of longing, melancholy, hope, frustration, sincerity, joy, or true and loving generosity. Each of these and more are included in this tale, making the characters seem very real. Thank you, Mr. Davis, for these things!
This book shall be a gift for my four year old nephew, and I could recommend it to anyone who knows a child with whom they would like to share the joy of Christmas! Reading this story could easily become a holiday tradition for any family, but its message is appropriate for any time of year.
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