Coming Through the Blizzard: A Christmas Story [Hardcover]

Eileen Spinelli (Author), Jenny Tylden-Wright (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999 | Age Level: 3 and up

One Christmas Eve not long ago it snowed.
And snowed.
And snowed.

Who will come through the blizzard to the Christmas Eve service at the little blue church?

The minister and the custodian, Tom Cat and a starling, and a little boy in his mother's arms. But something is still missing. Not until the last guest arrives will Christmas finally come.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When a snowstorm blows into town, the narrator wonders who will come to the Christmas Eve service. The answer? Everyone! Donning scarves and skis, the congregationAfurred and feathered, two-legged and four-leggedAgathers at the little blue church. And when a shivering stranger in a tattered coat arrives (and is welcomed), it's truly Christmas. In a stylish debut, Tylden-Wright combines an up-to-the-minute use of perspectives and textures with the retro appeal of an old-fashioned Christmas card, blanketing the scenes from Spinelli's (When Mama Comes Home Tonight) rhythmic verse text in drifts of frosty white as light spills warmly from glowing candles and windowpanes. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-On Christmas Eve, as snow blankets his community, a minister waits and wonders who will make it to the evening service. The lyrical text describes the arrivals: "The starling came/on snowy wings across a starless sky./The starling came,/frosty and fuddled,/to huddle on a cushion in candle glow,/beneath a branch of the shining tree./The starling came." The bird is followed by the custodian, Tom Cat, a small boy in his mother's arms, a field mouse, the organist, a moth, and the soloist. The small blue church begins to fill up; however, it is not until the last guest, a stranger, arrives that Christmas comes. The colored-pencil illustrations highlighted in gouache supply warmth to the narrative and the brightness of the last spread brings a glow to the story. Soft and sweet, this title invites readers and listeners to ponder the true arrival of Christmas.-T.T.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689814909
• ISBN-13: 978-0689814907
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,833,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eileen Spinelli is no stranger to the Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers list. Since her debut in 1991 with Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, an IRA/CBC Children's Choice book and Christopher Award winner, she has gone on to author numerous picture books, poetry collections, and chapter books, including the best-selling When Mama Comes Home Tonight, and the critically acclaimed Sophie's Masterpiece. Eileen lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.