STARS CLAP INC STARS CLAP INC. DECEMBER 2017 ISSUE | Page 22

holiday Must reads

The Holidays are a perfect time to spend time with family and start a tradition that instills the love of reading.

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. The moving, lyrical tale, gloriously illustrated by P.J. Lynch, has been widely hailed as a true Christmas classic.

“Who invented Christmas?”

Mama’s answer only leads to more questions like “Is God more important than Santa?” So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas

A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical trip to the North Pole . . .

Through dark forests, over tall mountains, and across a desert of ice, the Polar Express makes its way to the city atop the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish.

This poem by Clement C. Moore has been loved by children and parents alike for generations. Written for Moore's own children, it vividly portrays his imaginary encounter with Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Warm, witty and charming, it remains a vibrant classic of Christmas to this day.