Customer Reviews

Christmas in the Trenches

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A wonderful children's book filled with beautiful pictures, and a very moving tale about the WW1 Christmas truce. Book comes with the story and original song on CD.

This is a well-written, well-illustrated, compelling children's story about the fraternization of rival soldiers during the First World War. The story of English and German soldiers singing "Silent Night" together in the trenches really humanizes the combatants in war and should lead the reader to question the sacrifice of human life in conflict. (Even older children will find this interesting, as a starting-point for exploring the First World War and other conflicts.)

Author John McCutcheon does a generally fine job of balancing the private hope for peace with the public horror of war in this tale of the increasingly well-known Christmas truces of WWI. These holiday-inspired truces occurred in the "No Man's Land" between the two entrenched (literally) armies, and NcCutcheon backs his history-inspired fiction with a closing "Historical Note" and references to two books: "Silent Night," by S. Weintraub, and :Christmas Truce," by M. Brown and S. Seaton.

The violence, boredom, and sheer stupidity of this bloody war are only suggested to its intended early elementary school audience: A shadowy view of a man on a stretcher, cold, bored, sometimes sick soldiers. However, there is no denying that the book sanitizes WWI. At the conclusion, drawings of prone soldiers suggest being gunned down, but I doubt the young reader will make that interpretation.

Instead, this book is about peace breaking out--if only for a night, and Christmas Eve at that. The soldiers, separated by about maybe 100 yards, hear each other singing CHristmas songs, and the first move towards unity is a joint singing of "Silent Night." A bt later, a lone German soldier with a white flag bravely walks over the snow, and soon the trenches empty, gifts are exchanged, photos shared, and an impromptu soccer game is played on the former battlefield. That's where one can feel the impact of the book--in one transcendent night when soldiers recognized their shared humanity, the common feelings that lay deep within them.

Yes, I wanted the book to show the awful conditions in the trenches, to show even slightly more evidence of war's ravages, and to mention the who and why of the orders that placed them here. But, this is a book for young kids, and such "charged" issues would keep this book off at least some schools' library shelves and classrooms. I think though, that the afterward could have been broadened to include both the current explanation of the truces, and a brief, age-appropriate presentation of the war's causes and effects.

THe oil illustrations are outstanding. Henri Sorenson had to show the murky trenches and dark evening hours, but the pictures are clear, nicely illuminated, and focus on the combatants' faces. Whether he intended it or not, the last scene of the weary soldiers back in the trench after the truce clevrly hints at the tremendous human toll.

There is an accompanying CD featuring McCutcheon's cloying reading of his story, which tilts the tone strongly back towards the "saccharine" and "sanitized" side. It all sounds so wondrous and almost appealing that it feels unjust. He should have stuck with the three songs nicely performed on the CD: "Silent Night" in German and English, McCutcheon's recapitulation of the story "Christmas in the Trenches," which actualy, finally, sneaks in some anti-war sentiment (for example, "...Whose family have I fixed within my sights?"), and Track 4, which, strangely enough, is the same narration of the story heard at the beginning of the CD.

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon illustrated by Henri Sorensen is a great read at any age. I had heard fragments of the story of the shared Christmas Eve between the British and the Germans in WWI but never as beautifully illustrated, told and sung as in this book. John McCutcheon has a clear voice in every aspect and with our troops heading home it is a poignant story in deed.

"Christmas in the Trenches" is an old story told in fiction to point to a time that really happened. It is important for boys to know where we have come from in this country in order to regard our freedoms a personal responsibility.

Every child should hear this story, regardless of the veracity of all the details. The situation DID occur, and this rendition makes for heartfelt reading and good discussion. I read it to our grandchildren's 2nd grade school class and the children were captivated.

A wonderful story, well written and beautifully illustrated. I have seen
John McCutcheon perform the song (the book comes with a CD) many times.
I would strongly recommend the book and any of John's CD to anyone. You should also catch one of his concerts if you get the chance.

This is an historical event that is little known to today's generations. I read the book and played the accompanying taped music to a group of third grade girls. Silent Night will never be the same to them ever. Well done. Beautiful music. Worthwhile to pass on to our children.

"Christmas In The Trenches" is a piece of our history I've long been aware of. I have been shocked to learn how our current generation has no idea of this event. I would hope this book/cd will become an active lesson presented in our educational system again.

"We Shall Never Forget"

Mother of Fallen Soldier SSG Patrick Lee Lybert KIA 21 June 2006, Gowardesh, Afghanistan.

This book tells the story of the cease fire between nations at war on Christmas day. It shows us that we can truly have peace if we want to understand each other and respect each other's beliefs. I really enjoyed sharing this with my family and explaining the history of WWI.