A Houseful of Christmas [Hardcover]

Barbara Joosse (Author), Betsy Lewin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001 | Age Level: 4 and up

A traditional, heart-warming family Christmas celebration in the tradition of Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came.

Every Christmas, Granny's house is brim full of family and festive cheer--carols and presents and plenty of food, bows and gift wrap for Fat Cat to play with, and lots of company for Granny and her dog, Edgar.

This Christmas, snow starts to fall and it doesn't stop. Instead of going home, the whole family hunkers down for a cozy night in Granny's warm house.

Whhhhh went the wind,
but everyone was snug.
Shhhhhh went the snow,
but everyone was together.

Even during a blizzard, there's no place better than Granny's house for Christmas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's the more the merrier when a boisterous clan makes its annual descent on Granny's house in Joosse's (Mama, Do You Love Me?) animated and knowing story. Decorations, gifts, carols and, of course, dinner with candied-yam casserole are all part of the "Christmas fuss," vivaciously relayed in rhythmic language. And when "whhhh-ing" wind and "shhhhh-ing" snow make travel hazardous, Granny happily hosts a snug family sleep-over. Lewin's (Click, Clack, Moo) sweet and humorous pen-and-watercolor artwork rises to the cheerful occasion. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reS-Gr 2-Every year Granny decorates, prepares her candied-yam casserole, wraps packages, and waits for the whole family to arrive for Christmas. Soon the house is full of family and festivities, while "Whhhhh went the wind. Shhhhh went the snow.-Tick tick tick went the grandfather clock." Snowed in, everyone-grown-ups, kids, and animals-camps out with blankets on the living-room floor. The clutter, chaos, affection, and fun of these once-a-year activities burst into life in Lewin's funny and tender pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations. Written with economy and an ear for large-family dynamics, A Houseful of Christmas makes a perfect, cozy read-aloud for one-on-one or group sharing.-S. P.

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: 0805063919
• ISBN-13: 978-0805063912
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,047,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Joosse is the author of the ever-popular Mama, Do You Love Me?, along with many other books for young readers. She lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Houseful of Love....., November 8, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Houseful of Christmas (Hardcover)

"Every year the whole family came to Granny's for Christmas." It was her favorite time of year. She baked and decorated, wrapped presents, and on Christmas morning made her candied yam casserole. Soon everyone arrived, chatty Aunt Fanny, and her skinny sister, Clarisse, Uncle Bert, the fireman, with his dog, Great-aunt Ruby, who always smelled like cherry cough drops, Aunt Ivy, and her three noisy little boys, Annie, Michael and little Otto, and of course, Lambert. They ate Uncle Bert's famous smoked turkey and Granny's yams, opened their gifts, and sang carols while Granny played her accordion. But this year something special and unexpected happened, they all got snowed in, and had a big sleepover on Granny's living room floor..... Barbara Joosse has outdone herself with this joyous story of love and family, traditions, and togetherness. Her simple text pulls the reader right into the story, and lets you enjoy the holiday as one of the family, and is complemented by Betsy Lewin's colorful and expressive watercolor artwork. Together, they've authored a delightful picture book about making a lifetime of memories and remembering all the good family times. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, A Houseful Of Christmas is a lovely story your entire family can read and share together as you begin to get ready for the holiday season and make your own new memories.

4.0 out of 5 stars we love christmas at Grannys!, February 18, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Houseful of Christmas (Hardcover)

It's Christmas time. The family in the story always goes to Granny's house for Christmas. They have a great dinner, open gifts and spend time enjoying each others company. When it's time for everyone to go home they find out that they have been snowed in at Granny's the roads are unsafe to drive on. They all spend the night on the floor on pillows and blankets.
The book showed a family that loved each other and have a great time together. It reminded our family of all the great Christmas memories that we have as we gather at our Granny's house

This is a great bedtime story to read loud around the holidays. Family members of all ages will enjoy this short picture book.

5.0 out of 5 stars The True Meaning of Christmas, October 14, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Houseful of Christmas (Paperback)

Christmas is Granny's favorite time of year, for she spends her days cooking, wrapping, decorating, and more with her friendly pooch, Edgar, and her grouchy kitty, Cat. On Christmas morning she is treated to a delightful visit from all of her family members, including Chatty Aunt Fanny and her sister Clarisse, Uncle Bert and his fire dog, Walter, Great Aunt Ruby, Annie, Michael, Otto, Aunt Ivy, Freddie, Dennie, Kennie, and Lambert. However, this year, after all of the celebrating, Granny's visitors can't leave, for there is a terrible snowstorm. So, Granny is pleased to have the opportunity for everyone to stay at her house, leaving her with a houseful of Christmas.

Barbara Joosse has done a wonderful job of creating a delightful holiday tale that captures the true essence of Christmas...family. Her simple, yet wonderful prose is easy to understand, so even young children will not be left contemplating what is going on, while the marvelous illustrations by Betsy Lewin are just perfect. If you're looking for a children's book about the true meaning of Christmas, this is it.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper