Miracle on 34th Street [Paperback]

Valentine Davies (Author), Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Tomie dePaola’s beautiful paintings add to the classic story of a beneficent gentleman who may or may not be Santa Claus. “A highly recommended family or classroom read-aloud, this should quickly claim . . . its own well-deserved niche for many holiday celebrations ahead.”--Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Several reissues make a reappearance this season. Leading the list is a facsimile edition of Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies. The handsome volume re-creates the 1947 edition with heavy cream-colored paper and a font that emulates the original hot-metal type.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Lovingly reproduced to match the original 1947 printing, this handsome hardback edition of Miracle on 34th Street comes in a gift box with a painted wooden tree ornament. Screenwriter Valentine Davies's film classic has been so thoroughly enshrined in the Christmas canon that it's impossible to read this book without picturing Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood as the harried Macy's parade organizer and her precocious daughter. But what makes this gift-box edition interesting is a short note describing the book's production, which happened at a frantic pace--Davies fairly credits director David Seaton for much of the book's inspiration, and over 400,000 copies were rushed through to premiere simultaneously with the film. Other print versions of Miracle on 34th Street might be more fun (including one illustrated by beloved kids book author Tomie de Paola), but for that '40s, old-timey appeal, this gift box can't be beat (not to mention it being a safe, easy go-to for stuffing stockings and bringing gifts to holiday parties). (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes (Amazon.com Review - Paul Hughes )

The Miracle on 34th Street Ornament and Book Gift Set pairs Valentine Davies's 1947 holiday classic, designed to match its original 1947 edition, with a painted wooden ornament. The vintage look, with its muted reds and greens, is eye-catching in its understatement. All ages. (Publishers Weekly )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (October 20, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015254528X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152545284
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't help but Believe!, October 29, 2001

By 

Madison (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Miracle on 34th Street: [Facsimile Edition] (Hardcover)

We've all seen the classic black and white movie. And, as part of the holiday tradition, we watch it again and again.

But the original story is what makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over. It tickles the buried child in all of us. The magic, the wonder...this story never gets old.

The presentation is delightful, too. The cover, the type, the book size ~ are all as close to the original as state of the art technology can get it. What a wonderful hostess gift or stocking stuffer this would make!

I believe! Do you?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miracle on 34th Street, March 10, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Miracle on 34th Street: [Facsimile Edition] (Hardcover)

I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Davies'. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anything's possible-you just have to believe.
Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macy's Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesn't believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
This book didn't really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susan's Christmas was magical!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what my child needed, November 12, 2007

By 

LML (NY, NY United States) - See all my reviews

When an adult in my daughter's life had told her that Santa Claus didn't exist, was I glad I had just purchased a copy of this! Now, of course my daughter had heard this news before from one or two of her friends, but it was the first time she had heard it from an adult and she was very upset. Nevertheless, after immediately reading her the book, her faith in Santa has been restored.