The Christmas Blizzard [Paperback]

Helen Ketteman (Author), James Warhola (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up

One year the North Pole is too hot for Christmas, so a young boy howls up a snowstorm to get things back on track. He whips up snowflakes as big as dinner plates and winds strong enough to split firewood!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. An unusual heat wave at the North Pole forces Santa to move his entire workshop to Lizzard, Indiana, where temperatures are in the deep freeze. Unfortunately, a lack of snow deters the work, so young Maynard Jenkins pays a visit to an elderly neighbor lady rumored to be able to cast spells. She is more than willing to help out, but the storm she conjures has unexpected and hilarious results. Ketteman's fanciful tall tale is sure to attract young listeners, and Warhola's comical ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture the text's exaggerated humor. Particularly delightful are Santa's sunbathing elves and the bonfires lit to defrost the clouds. An appealing choice for holiday read-alouds or for older children learning to write their own tall tales. Kay Weisman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590136097
• ISBN-13: 978-0590136099
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,337,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Christmas Blizzard by Helen Ketteman, October 30, 2001

By 

Lisa Edwards (Savannah, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Christmas Blizzard (Paperback)

This is one of the cuttest stories I have ever read. I used to read this book to my 3-year old class and they always wanted it read again and again. It makes you use your imagination and the illustrations are wonderfully done. Thanks for such a wonderful book.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Christmas Blizzard, March 4, 2009

By 

Anna M. Ligtenberg "AnnaLovesBooks" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Christmas Blizzard (Paperback)

ISBN 0590458795 - Sometimes you can just tell, when you pick up a book, that it's going to be one you really like... The Christmas Blizzard is one of those books, for me. It's not thick, it's actually a pretty flimsy paperback - but it DOES look like fun, and it is!

Sissy McNab tells oldtimer Maynard Jenkins that a snowstorm is on the way, prompting him to tell her the story of the blizzard of '22. That year, it was so cold that Maynard's father's sledgehammer cracked like glass! Stranger, it was tropically warm at the North Pole, so Santa re-located to the coldest place he could find - right in their town. Turned out, however, cold wasn't enough to get the elves making toys, so Maynard went to see Miz Pendersnarf, an old woman who, it was said, could cast spells. Her spell works almost too well, but Maynard helps it along and soon the town is covered in feet of snow and Christmas is saved, convincing the mayor to rename the town Blizzard... I mean, Lizzard.

Illustrator James Warhola did fantastic work. The images are fun, laugh out loud funny, and full of detail; they match the story and they bring a certain character all their own. The author, Helen Ketteman, spins a convincing old mans' tall tale that kids will love. There are stories that your child will remember, and pass on, and I think this one will be one of those.

- AnnaLovesBooks

5.0 out of 5 stars THE CHRISTMAS BLIZZARD is a great Read-Aloud for age 4-104, December 15, 2008

By 

Lynn Pritchett (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Christmas Blizzard (Paperback)

The Christmas Blizzard is another great tall tale written by Helen Ketteman (former teacher who's lived thru her share of blizzards) and illustrated by James Warhola (grandson of famous artist Andy Warhol)...The tale will blow you away from the get-go, as palm trees and sunny weather at the North Pole turn the hope of Christmas topsy-turvy...See the rest of L.Pritchett's Editor's Choice Award-winning review at[...]