Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley, but he is always alone and never smiles. No one knows about the mementos of his lost wife and child that he keeps in an unopened drawer. But one early winter's day, a widow and her young son approach him with a gentle request that leads to a joyful miracle.

51086

Gently paced tale of recovering from loss and rebuilding a family by sharing talents with each other. I liked it a lot and may use in future with 3rd grade or thereabouts. ( )

A woodcutter's wounded heart is healed through a Christmas miracle.

This review originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review

Johnathan Toomey is called Mr. Gloomy by the village children because he never smiles and sits alone carving wood most of the time. His life changes when the widow McDowell and her son, Thomas, come to him asking that he would carve a set of Christmas figures for her. As Thomas and the widow describe the pieces and watch him work, they are initially put off by Mr. Toomey’s gruffness. However, as Thomas provides Mr. Toomey with suggestions on how the figures should look, the widow and her son start to become friends with the woodcarver. Slowly Mr. Toomey begins to heal from the thing that made him so gloomy for so long through their friendship and thinking about the miracle of Christmas.

The 20th anniversary of this Christmas classic is a beautiful story of how love and Christmas can touch hearts. Thomas’s descriptions of the individual figures and characters in the nativity make the Christmas story feel more real to both Mr. Toomey and the readers. The anniversary edition has a new cover, but the story and the classic beautiful illustrations are the same as what previous readers of the book will remember. This book is a classic picture book that should not be missed during the Christmas season. ( )