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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | EASY WIL | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | EASY WIL | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Christmas is coming to the little house on the prairie, but Laura and Mary Ingalls are worried. It's been raining for days now, and Laura is afraid that Santa Claus won't be able to travel without snow. Mary is afraid that Santa won't be able to find them so far away on the prairie. Both girls are sure the rain has made the creek rise too high for Santa to cross it.
Two very sad little girls fall asleep on Christmas Eve. But on Christmas morning they awaken to a noise outside their log cabin door. Could it be Santa?
Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House On The Prairie has been treasured by children of all ages for generations. Now, for the first time ever, comes an illustrated edition of this complete and unabridged Christmas chapter taken directly from Wilder's beloved book. Little House artist Renée Graef's rich paintings, combined with this heartwarming story, make this a new holiday classic for families to share year after year.
Author Notes
Wilder was born near Pepin, Wisconsin; attended school in DeSmet, South Dakota; and became a teacher before she was 16, teaching for seven years in Dakota Territory schools. She and her husband, Almanzo Wilder, farmed near DeSmet for about nine years and then moved to Mansfield, Missouri, where they lived out the rest of their days.
Wilder did not write her first book, Little House in the Big Woods, about her early years in Wisconsin, until late in life, on the urging of her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. It was first published in 1932. She followed this with Farmer Boy (1933), a book about her husband's childhood in New York State. She then completed a series of books about her life as she and her family moved westward along the frontier. Little House on the Prairie (1935) records the family's move to Kansas. On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937) describes the family's move to Minnesota. By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939) records the family's move to South Dakota, as do the final three books in the series: The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie (1941), and These Happy Golden Years (1943), which ends with her marriage to Almanzo Wilder. Three of Wilder's books were published posthumously: On the Way Home, a diary of her trip to Mansfield; The First Four Years, an unfinished book about her first four years of marriage; and West from Home, letters she wrote on a visit to her daughter in San Francisco, none of them up to the quality of her earlier books.
At her best, Wilder employs a clear, simple style, a wealth of fascinating detail, and a straightforward narrative style. Her tales of a strong, traditional frontier family that endures the hardships of the late eighteenth century are seen through the eyes of a child, which endears them to young readers. Her work is possibly the best example of historical realistic fiction for children.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-How are Santa and his reindeer going to make it to Mary and Laura's house with the creek so swollen with water and them so far away in Indian Territory? Mr. Edwards, their neighbor, won't be able to join them for Christmas dinner, either, as he lives on the other side of the creek. As Ma begins to prepare the wild turkey that Pa has killed for their dinner, the cabin has an air of somberness. Christmas does come to the little house, but in a much different way than Mary and Laura expected. Graef's illustrations, done in soft, warm colors, elicit the feeling of times gone by and make the story accessible to a wide age group. As with other picture books created from text excerpted from the "Little House" books (HarperCollins), readers will not benefit from Wilder's rich and skillful development of characters; without the context of the complete story, they will not be as involved in the action. Nonetheless, this is a sweet family read-aloud for veterans of the series, or a way to introduce these sisters to younger audiences.-P. G. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Santa Comes to Little House, illus. by Renee Graef, lifts the Christmas chapter out of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Word for word, an entire chapter from [cf2]Little House on the Prairie[cf1] forms the text for this holiday picture book. When the creek rises, Laura and Mary realize that Santa will not be able to make it to their homestead, but their disappointment turns into joy when Mr. Edwards unexpectedly brings their gifts to them. GraefÆs attractive artwork complements the touching story, which stands well alone. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. Complete and unabridged, this chapter from Little House on the Prairie has long been a favorite of Little House fans. Now it stands alone as a picture book. There's no particular reason to put this in picture-book format other than marketing; the Little House spin-offs just keep on growing. But the story, in which Mary and Laura wait--almost--in vain for Santa Claus is still dear. And the girls' delight in receiving presents as simple as a tin cup may give children something to ponder. The full-color paintings effectively show the scenes inside the cabin, but the characters have a generic look. This will probably be well received by bookstore patrons; for libraries it's a secondary purchase. --Ilene Cooper Reference Books Bulletin