The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden
originally published 1958
31 pages
Synopsis from publisher:
Ivy, Holly, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones all have one Christmas wish. Ivy, an orphan, wishes for a real home and sets out in search of the grandmother she’s sure she can find. Holly, a doll, wishes for a child to bring her to life. And the Joneses wish more than anything for a son or daughter to share their holiday. Can all three wishes come true? This festive tale is perfectly complemented by beloved Barbara Cooney’s luminous illustrations, filled with the warm glow of the Christmas spirit.
My thoughts:
"This is a story about wishing."
One of the best traditions my mom started with my sister, brother, and I as kids at Christmas was to read aloud a collection of Christmas stories. We would occasionally add a new one, but each year we knew we'd hear the story of The Little Fir Tree, A Christmas Memory, The Animals' Christmas Eve, and The Night Tree.
Of all of the books she read to us, I think my favorite was The Story of Holly and Ivy. It has everything a good fairy tale should - a little, lost girl; a doll who desperately wants to be loved; a kind-hearted family; a villianous owl. Each is perfectly written, and are just waiting, like Holly, to find a home in your heart.
"Dolls are not like us; we are alive as soon as we are born, but dolls are not really alive until they are played with."
This particular edition has the added bonus of gorgeous illustrations by Barbara Cooney - they bring the story to life. This is a wonderful read-aloud book. At it's heart, it is about making wishes and hoping for them to come true - a perfect story for Christmas.
I absolutely love this book. I hope you can find a spot for it on your shelves!
Finished: 11/14/09
Source: Forest Avenue Library
Rating: 10/10
This book counts toward;
It is worth 20 points!
4 comments:
Why didn't I put this on your Relative Reads list??!! Same author as In This House of Brede.
This sounds perfect for this time of year!
I love this one, too and read it to my students every year!
This one looks like such a sweet book, and although my kids are a little out of it's age range, I think it's still something I'd like to read this holiday season. Have you read anything else by Rumer Godden? I have a copy of The Greengage Summer on my shelves, and have heard it's amazing, but haven't yet gotten the chance to read it.
Post a Comment