A favorite Christmas book from childhood: *The Littlest Angel* by Charles Tazewell

We got our Christmas tree yesterday, and spent the afternoon putting up decorations – ornaments on the tree, candles in the windows, wreaths on the doors, and kids’ holiday artwork all around.

Now I’m left with lots of empty boxes and scattered tissue paper to pick up and pack away.  I lost my little helpers when one of them opened a box and called, “Yay, Mom!  It’s the Christmas books!”  You see, we pack away our seasonal books and get an early gift when we open them each year.

Here’s a partial list of what we found:

• The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (a favorite with games and notes inside)
• A Christmas Treasury (Sesame Street)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
• The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury by Alice Low and Marc Brown
• Religious Christmas Stories for Children (Ideals Publishing Co.  This one has been with me since I was a kid; a hardcover with a $1.50 price tag from 1966)
• Christmas Eve (an over-sized board book with clever cut outs and simple text)
• Christmas Magic by Michael Garland
• The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry (I had this when I was young, and was so happy to find that it has been reissued!  A scratch-and-sniff with peppermint, hot chocolate, pine, gingerbread, etc.)
• My Very Own Christmas Prayer Book by Arden W. Mead (this has an advent prayer for every letter of the alphabet.  A lot of text, but reaches the reader with connections – Underwear is Useful, not fun, kind of like gold frankincense and myrrh would have been useful, not something to play with)
• Santa Mouse by Michael Brown
• Dear Santa by Alan Benjamin (a cute little board book with a rhyming list.  I especially like the last page which asks for “something nice for Mommy and Daddy” and shows them on the deck of a cruise ship named Snowflake)
• Do You See What I See? by Arden Mead and David Mead (an “I Spy” type book for advent)
• O Little Town of Bethlehem (an over-sized board book with lights and music!)
• Angelina’s Christmas by Katharine Holabird (who doesn’t love Angelina Ballerina!?)
• My Christmas Stocking by Nancy Parent (another interactive board book; this one says “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!” when you press a button)
• Where’s My Christmas Stocking? by Noelle Carter (a lift the flap book with textures)
• The Pudgy Merry Christmas Book illustrated by Mary Morgan (a pudgy board book about a cute mouse village)
• O Christmas Tree (a pop-up book illustrating the carol)
• The Best Thing About Christmas! by Christine Harder Tangvald (a sweet hardcover picture book that talks about our activities of the season, then gently reminds the reader of the reason for season)
• Peef the Christmas Bear by Tom Hegg (a special teddy bear made of scraps from the elves’ toy shop)

That’s a whole lotta Christmas book, isn’t it?!  I’m sure there are more misplaced on our shelves, and I know you have some (many?) that aren’t listed here.  And, yes, the quality of the books vary – my favorites aren’t necessarily the same as my kids’ favorites, and there are some that I’m ready to pass along (but the kids want to keep).

Here’s one more, the book in the title of this post, and the picture at the top.  It’s The Littlest Angel, written by Charles Tazewell, illustrated by Sergio Leone.  This cover is the version currently available from Ideals Books. A little further down I’ve posted the board book version of The Littlest Angel.

I’ve always loved this story, though perhaps you’d think it would make me sad – the main character is a four-and-a-half year old boy who is an angel in heaven.  Maybe I connected with him – his halo was forever slipping off, he was late to choir practice, and he was always skipping and running while the other angels were able to fly and glide.

One day, the Understanding Angel took the Littlest Angel under his wing (really, I saw it in the picture, I’m not just making a bad pun!), and they talked about all the things from earth that the Littlest Angel missed.  The Understanding Angel sent a Heavenly Messenger back to earth to get a small wooden box out from under the Littlest Angel’s bed.  The box contained the Angel’s earthly treasures – a bird’s egg, small white stones, a dog collar worn by a beloved pet, dried butterfly wings.

One day it became known in heaven that a miracle was about to occur; all the angels hurried about gathering gifts for the Child of God who would soon be born.  The Littlest Angel placed his simple box among all the treasures that had been collected for this special baby.  As soon as he saw the shabby wooden box next to the glittering gifts, the Littlest Angel’s pride turned to shame – his gift looked worthless, why had he thought it would be appropriate?

Then, the hand of God came pulled that wooden box from the stacks of bright shiny gifts,

And the Voice of God spoke, saying, “Of all the gifts of all the angels, I find that this small box pleases Me most.  Its contents are of the Earth and of men, and My Son is born to be King of both.  These are the things my Son, too, will know and love and cherish and then, regretful, will leave behind Him when His task s done.  I accept this gift in the name of the Child, Jesus, born of Mary this night in Bethlehem.”

The box began to glow, brighter and brighter; it rose in the sky and became the shining star of Bethlehem.

I just loved this story as a kid, and, ahem, many years later it still resonates.  The message of simple things having significance as meaningful treasure is powerful; maybe that’s why I’ve held on to The Littlest Angel all these years; it’s one of my simple treasures.

What are your favorite holiday books?

FTC Disclosure:  My copy of The Littlest Angel is copyright 1962 by Grosset and Dunlap, and pre-dates me.  It has travelled with me on moves to four different states, and is stored in the off-season in labelled Christmas tote in our basement.  A priceless and irreplaceable memory.