⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Something enchanting and mysterious.”
“The first snows of winter are the magical ones.” With the opening sentence of Ray Downing’s Christmas In Idaho, we know the book will offer up the simple pleasures of Christmas as well as something enchanting and mysterious. This imaginative book revisits the holiday’s traditional, joyous themes – children playing in the snow, the sound of Christmas bells, the Star of Bethlehem, the warmth of home, even a little dry turkey – but it also speaks to deeper issues and religious messages.
Downing’s thoughtfulness is obvious in the book design as well. The touching illustrations (Downing is an Emmy Award winner, so that’s not a surprise) on heavy, gilded pages reminded me of how books used to feel.
Normally, I wouldn’t listen to a CD after I’d read the book, but I was in the car and thought I’d give it a try. The narrator’s calm voice and the piano background of familiar classics and Christmas music felt like a calm antidote to the season’s usual hustle and bustle.
I think it’s not easy to capture the innocence we celebrate on Christmas and also depict a more seasoned view of life. Who would have thought it could be done through the eyes of a snowman?
— Review by JD
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