Thursday, December 06, 2012

Finding Christmas

I recently bought Robert Munsch’s Finding Christmas to read to my daughter, to get help get her in the Christmas spirit (she’s three and a half).  I didn’t really need to.  She is very excited about Christmas already and she LOVES this book because it is about Christmas.  It’s a story about presents and parents and family.  I thought the illustrations were cute, almost telling their own story too.   I love the message that the family being together on Christmas morning is the best part about Christmas, that family is the best present you can get.  Is that a sappy sentiment?  Yes?  I don’t care.

I’ve read a couple of negative reviews about this book.  Commenting on the parents giving the presents instead of Santa and that Munsch just churned this book out for money.  I didn’t realize it was a new Munsch book; it’s not like I have his back catalogue memorized.  Yes, there is no Santa in the story.  Does Santa need to be in every holiday story?  Can’t this book be about family?  Does Munsch need the money?  Who cares? 

A lot of the time I judge children’s books by my daughter and son’s reactions to them.  My daughter loves this book. 


2 comments:

  1. It was only last year that I realized Munsch hadn't written a Christmas book yet and I thought, Munsch+Christmas=$$$.

    Do I think that needs to affect the quality of the story? Not necessarily. (Though I'll admit to not being a big fan of Munsch, but my kids like him.)

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    1. Honestly, I didn't realize it was a new book. I assumed Munsch had wrote it years ago and this was a new printing out for the holidays... I only discovered that it was new when I wrote this review.

      I have a couple Munsch favourites (like Paper Bag Princess), but I don't have to have the book because it's written by him. I also won't read a book to my kids if I think it gives off a bad message (you know that).

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