Customer Reviews

The Town That Forgot about Christmas

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I bought this book specifically to read to a group of adults at my church on the First Sunday of Advent. It tells a great story about a stranger that comes to a little town and teaches them about the meaning of Christmas - specifically, the birth of Jesus. The town goes from being grumpy and drab to wonderfully full of love and spirit as they prepare for Christmas Eve around a nativity scene they all helped to build.

"The Town That Forgot Christmas" is a delightful and inspirational children's Christmas picture book. The 9 3/8 inch by 10 1/4 inch book has 25 pages. Every other page is a full page full color illustration. The illustrations emphasize each character and their emotions in the story. This book would make a great read aloud in the Sunday School or school classroom. It could be read in 15 minutes or less.

The story centers around a city where the people have grown selfish and wicked. The children shouted and fought and they didn't play together. They didn't share. Grown ups scowled and complained. They didn't help each other and they didn't care. Everyone was cranky and mean. But most importantly they had forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. One day an unusual and somewhat mysterious man, named Matthew, from a far off place came to town. As I read the story my imagination led me to believe that Matthew could have been an angel sent from God to help the townspeople rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. I also thought that this man could be St. Matthew himself who came to the town that forgot Christmas to once again tell the story of the first Christmas as he did 2,000 years ago in the first book of the New Testament.

Matthew makes friends with the children and people in the town. Because Matthew was a carpenter, he could fix many things for the people in the town. Besides fixing things, Matthew encouraged families to play games with their children. Soon families spent time playing together instead of arguing and complaining. The town became a much happier and better place but they still didn't celebrate Christmas. Matthew begins carving real life size figures for a creche for the town. Christmas is fast approaching and it looks like Matthew may not get all the figires carved for Christmas. A wonderful miracle occurs in the town - the townspeople come together in a real spirit of cooperation to help carve and paint the life sized statues for the creche. On Christmas Eve, Matthew mysteriously disappears just like he appeared and the townspeople rediscoveer the true meaning of Christmas.

While this is a beautiful Christmas story, it is a story that teaches cooperation, unselfishness and kindness as well. This book does mention Jesus as the Son of God on one page and ends with the quoting of scripture from Luke 2: 10-11 - " Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."