Customer Reviews

Papa Panov's Special Day

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In this lovely picture book for older children, Papa Panov is an elderly shoemaker, feeling lonely on Christmas Eve. He reads about the birth of Jesus, long ago, and how Mary and Joseph had been turned away at the inn. If they had come here, he thinks to himself, I would have taken them in and cared for them. After drifting off to sleep, Papa Panov has a dream in which Jesus says he will come and visit the old shoemaker the next day. Eagerly, Papa Panov watches the streets on Christmas day, looking for Jesus. Along comes the humble street sweeper, and then a homeless woman and her child, and others who are down on their luck and in need. Papa Panov, though he wants to be watching for Jesus, kindly reaches out to each one who comes his way, offering a bit of food and comfort. When the day ends and Jesus apparently has not come, Papa Panov is disappointed -- until in another dream Jesus says that he had come after all! "I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me water, I was cold and you took me in. All the time you were helping them, you were helping me!"

Great story about an old shoemaker. He was very lonely one Christmas Eve. He read a story about Jesus that day. Wondering what he could do for Jesus, a voice speaks to him, telling the old shoemaker to watch out his window the next day and he will speak to him. But Jesus assured him that he will not be in a form the old shoemaker will readily recognize. He did show up the next day but in many different forms, i.e. a poor woman w/child, a hungry street cleaner, etc.