The Legend of Saint Nicholas [Hardcover]

Demi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

From his very first day of life, when he rises from his bath to pray to God, it is clear that Nicholas is a miraculous child with a spiritual destiny. As he grows he is deeply saddened by the sickness, suffering, and death that he witnesses every day. Looking to use his special gifts to affect change in the often desperate world around him, Nicholas dedicates his life to worshiping the Lord and helping those in need. Through his good works, Nicholas becomes the youngest man to ever become a bishop and the patron saint of seafarers, children, and prisoners. He performs more than twenty miracles, including bringing those wrongly killed back to life and going to people in need as an apparition, providing solace and inspiration.

In The Legend of Saint Nicholas, Demi describes pivotal events in the history and life of the saint, weaving a rich tapestry of luminous imagery into the story of his connection with Christmas and our modern-day Santa Claus. Demi's gilded artwork brings Nicholas to life in a way sure to mesmerize readers new to the story of this fascinating and important historical figure.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-This richly illustrated biography focuses on St. Nicholas, born around the year A.D. 280 in what is now Turkey. His active life of spirituality, good works, and miracles, especially concerning children, made him a popular saint after his death. The eventual melding of the December 6 feast day of St. Nicholas, which was celebrated with gift giving and merriment, with Christmas is explained clearly, giving children an understanding of how this man morphed into the Santa Claus they know today. The gilded paintings are full of absorbing, though sometimes anachronistic, details. In an illustration accompanying a story of Nicholas tossing coins into a girl's stocking, the stocking is bright red with a white top, very Christmas-y but not exactly third-century attire. The greatest strength of this book is its straightforward, affectionate depiction of a person who, by his deep love for the young and the needy, embodies the spirit of Christmas.-E. M.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-5. Children who think Santa Claus when they hear the name St. Nicholas will be surprised to hear the true story of the man who became the church's youngest bishop and the patron saint of butchers and prisoners as well as children. Born with spiritual gifts (at one day old, he stood in his bath and prayed to God!), Nicholas, in Buddhalike fashion, was distressed by the sorrow in the world and made it his mission to relieve suffering. Often he did this using miraculous means, saving sailors as an apparition and resurrecting three children who had been killed and pickled in brine to be served as food. Even middle-grade readers, the best audience for this, may be confused by some of the church-laden intricacies of the narrative, but the pictures are delightfully Demi. Representative scenes, set against buff-colored pages, burst through their gilded frames, and careful design work is evident right through to the endpapers, which show how Santa Claus is represented in various countries. Lovely and informative. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689846819
• ISBN-13: 978-0689846816
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and now lives in Yarrow Point, Washington. Demi is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred children's books, including picture-book biographies. Her work has received numerous awards and accolades.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The History of Bishop Nicholas, now Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, December 13, 2005

By 

Miryam Shoresh (Adirondack Mountains, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Hardcover)

Sometimes the best way to be more specific about a story beyond saying that it is "wonderful with beautiful pictures" is to quote what it says on the jacket cover that I can confirm from having read the book. I believe that this statement is very accurate - I couldn't have said it better myself: "In THE LEGEND OF SAINT NICHOLAS, Demi describes pivotal events in the history and life of the saint, weaving a rich tapestry of luminous imagery into the story of his connection with Christmas and our modern day Santa Claus. Demi's gilded artwork brings Nicholas to life in a way sure to mesmerize readers new to the story of this fascinating and important historical figure." I am not new to his story. I first learned about Saint Nicholas when I was a 5 year old child in Germany. I continue to celebrate Saint Nicholas day on his feast day, December 6 with whoever is near me. In the process I have explained again and again who he was and continue to have the highest respect for this historical figure, hoping that I can show some of his love for others. One thing that I realized in reading this book is that he was a bishop in the area of what is now part of what is considered to be that of the Orthodox or Eastern Catholic tradition rather than the Roman Catholic tradition. This is realized from the first time that you look at the cover of the book through the first couple of pages that show artwork of Orthodox orthodox churches and continued in "Middle East" scenery and Orthodox artwork. These pictures are present on every page of the book. As Bishop Nicholas lived in what is now Turkey this is most appropriate. A fun addition to this book is that the inside of the front and back covers have pictures of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus as they are appropriately shown in costumes of various cultures throughout the world - Russian, Chinese, Egyptian, Native American, Mexican, German, Irish etc.. One can spend quite a while just looking at these pages they are so fascinating.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Appropriate for Young Children, November 6, 2010

By 

Dana Mason Goodson (Chevy Chase, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Hardcover)

I bought this book as a present for my goddaughter, who is three, thinking it could be read to her. While the pictures are beautiful, the text is way too advanced for the 4-8 age range listed (eight years might be the lower end of the range for this book). The main reason I am returning it, however, is because of the description of the following episode: "A time came when Myra suffered a great famine and people were starving to death. A wicked innkeeper kidnapped three little boys, killed them, and salted them in a tub of brine, intending to serve them as food."! St. Nicholas rescues them and brings them back to life, but this is a terrifying story to relate to young children and I can't see how it could have been judged appropriate for them.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent and stirring, August 16, 2007

By 

Philip Ford "Philip Ford" (Lubbock, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Hardcover)

This Book is inviting and beautiful. Demi's artwork is so well done and inspirational. In some ways the pictures tell the story and the words just carry it along. Charlotte Demi Hunt tells this story with reverence and some humor along the way. Look at her inventive end papers and you will see Santa's from around the world. Little details like Nicholas's donkey, a red stocking, darling dutch children holding wooden shoes offer a light humor to a very straight forward telling of the life of Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus. Yet Demi never goes above childrens heads. Her writing is simple and straight forward and the stories of Nicholas's compassion and faith capture your heart. The best is that of the nobleman and his three daughters and how Nicholas saved the girls from slavery with a gift of gold in a stocking. The whole book is a delight and perfect for reading to children.