Hannah's Bookmobile Christmas [Hardcover]

Sally Derby (Author), Gabi Swiatkowska (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

A warm-spirited Christmas story about friendship and generosity, with a touch of adventure.

Snowflakes like dandelion fluff floated in the air.
Christmas carols rang through the streets, and the
sleigh bells on Blue Bird's door chimed merrily as
people went in and out.

It's Christmas Eve day, and Mary, her young helper Hannah, and the bookmobile Blue Bird, won't let a little snow prevent them from making all the regular stops on their route. However, if the snow keeps falling, trusty Blue Bird may not be able to push through the drifts to Hannah's hard-to-reach home by nightfall. But with good books at hand and plenty of treats to tide them over, who's to say a bookmobile can't also make a cozy Christmas Eve haven in the snow?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's a snowy Christmas Eve, and Hannah and her aunt, a bookmobile driver, traveling their regular route, find themselves unable to make it home. Instead, they hole up for the night with cocoa, edible presents received from patrons throughout the day and plenty of Christmas stories on the shelves. Alternating chilly grays with warm terra cotta shades, debut artist Swiatkowska's paintings contrast stunning wintry landscapes against the bookmobile's snug interior in Derby's (Taiko on a Windy Night) cozy holiday tale. Ages 4-7.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-On the day before Christmas as a snowstorm threatens, eight-year-old Hannah helps her Aunt Mary make the rounds in her venerable 1970 bookmobile. When the weather conditions finally prevent the two from returning to their homes, they spend the night in Blue Bird, sharing the gifts of food given to them by the grateful readers at their stops during the day. An afterword gives a brief history of bookmobiles in the United States. Even with a heroic librarian at its center, this plot is very slight. The acrylic illustrations are appealing, but the interiors of the vehicle seem implausibly spacious, with large windows, at least one easy chair, and generous expanses of wallpaper.-V. W.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805064206
• ISBN-13: 978-0805064209
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,081,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've always lived in Ohio, and my life was pretty quiet until I had my first son. Things became a little noisier with a baby around, and when he was followed by four younger brothers and then a sister, the house became noisier still. Just when I was thinking that life was about to settle down, two foster sons joined us, and later, three foster daughters. They are all grown now, so the house is quiet usually -- until the grandchildren, and now a great-grandchild too, come visit! I figure that after 55 years of marriage and all those children, I have enough story ideas to keep me busy for the rest of my life. I love to hear from readers who like my books. Have fun reading!