LitPick Review
Take a journey throughout an evening of a family’s Christmas celebration in their home. Karen Stacy’s Seeing Christmas searches for the true meaning of Christmas. Each page of this picture book is a zoomed-in element of Christmas decorations and traditions. The text is a poem that guides the reader through descriptions and the significance of lights, trees, gifts, decorative village, stockings, toys, food and family. When the scene narrows in on a nativity scene, the poem connects all of the family’s Christmas traditions to Jesus and the fruit that comes from Jesus’ Holy Spirit. The poem and pictures demonstrate a theme of looking closely to understand the larger picture. This inspection is helpful to seeing how all of the little elements of Christmas come together to represent the true meaning of Christmas as the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The picture book includes an author’s note to the reader and ends with a quoted scripture of the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5.
Opinion:
Karen Stacy’s Seeing Christmas offers a unique Christmas story ideal for Christian families focusing on Jesus during their celebrations. Young children and elementary students will enjoy the poetic flow of the text and the bright, inviting colors of the vivid illustrations. The illustrations and poetic text masterfully build a theme of looking closely to understand the bigger picture. This close inspection offers the reader an opportunity to gauge the deeper meaning of celebrations and as the title suggests, truly “seeing Christmas.” The theme of looking closely to see the big picture is solidified as the story ends and a view of the whole Christmas Party scene allows the reader to reflect on why and how they celebrate Christmas. Joel Schoon-Tanis’ style of the illustrations convey a familiar feeling of art supplies with the soft, clay-like markings. Each line, invites the reader to imagine how the illustrator drew the decorations, foods, furniture and characters. Wide lines throughout the furniture deepen the setting and allow the reader to feel welcomed into the room for this Christmas party. The Christmas village illustrations and words were inviting, warm, and evoked deep meaning for the reader. Stacey’s Seeing Christmas would make a great addition to any Christmas tradition.
