People celebrate Christmas in many different ways. In her gift book A Christmas Sampler,
artist and poet Joan Walsh Anglund recognizes the diversity of
traditions surrounding this beloved holiday and provides a nice little
primer on them. Unlike Christmas Is a Time of Giving,
which she originally published several decades earlier, this book is in
full color, and it’s much wordier, including a number of poems and
songs containing several verses as opposed to the earlier book, which
has only a sentence per page.
Anglund has a distinctive style,
particularly when it comes to drawing children. The kids in her books
have tiny black dots for eyes and bright rosy cheeks. Beyond that, they
usually have no other facial features. They dress in old-fashioned
attire, which adds to the general coziness of her books. Whether or not
these types of images have any direct correlation to your own youth,
they are a part of countless Christmas songs and specials, so these
nostalgic visions are perfectly suited to this homey time of year.
In
some of Anglund’s books, the adults look significantly more realistic
than the children, but that isn’t the case here. Only the wise men
toward the beginning and the portrait of Mary holding Jesus at the end
of the book include a different facial design than the children. Then
again, there aren’t very many adults in this book at all. What we mostly
have are lots of children gearing up for Christmas in different ways:
trimming the tree, making cookies, going for a sled ride, caroling…
These are all very common images, but that just gives them a comfortably
familiar feel.
She divides the book up into sections, each
entitled “The _____ of Christmas.” The longest section is the last, “The
Meaning of Christmas,” which is a poem that spans eight pages. “The
Poems of Christmas” are written in rhyme as well, and “The Songs of
Christmas” are simply two popular carols. The book also includes a
couple of introductory poems. The rest is prose, including several short
descriptions of Christmas customs, legends and traditions and a recipe
for gingerbread cookies.
This book is much more explicit that
the earlier one when it comes to both Jesus and Santa. Each appears in
both in illustrations and text. Anglund also discusses St. Nicholas,
citing him as the inspiration for Santa Claus. Her sampling of various
traditions from around the world is educational, and even though I am a
Lutheran who absolutely loves live Christmas trees, I had never before
heard that Martin Luther was said to have started that custom by
erecting a fir in his home. Some research on the subject leads me to
believe that there is some debate about that, but just the possibility
is fascinating. I was familiar with the idea that St. Francis of Assisi
had developed the crèche, an interesting tidbit for those who haven’t
encountered that detail before.
Anglund’s poetry is fairly
uncomplicated and generally follows an ABCB rhyme pattern. I don’t know
that it would be strong enough to stand on its own, but alongside her
charming pictures, it works. She writes of preparing the heart and the
home for the arrival of Christmas and of extending kindness to others
during this season of giving. As Mary Poppins’ Feed the Birds
is one of my favorite songs, I especially like Anglund’s poem
encouraging children to distribute birdseed to hungry birds in the
winter.
A Christmas Sampler reminds me of a miniature version of Ideals.
It includes a similar mix of poetry, recipes and Christmas legends and
traditions. All that’s missing is some fiction, but Anglund has other
books to satisfy that desire. Because the pages are so small, the print
is miniscule and may be difficult for some to read. Stick this in
somebody’s stocking, and you may want to include a pocket magnifier.
Still, this is an adorable collection, and while I still slightly prefer
Christmas Is a Time of Giving, this more recent book aptly demonstrates many of the joys of the season.
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