This is a Christmas book because part of the story takes place on Christmas Eve, when, according to legend, all the animals can talk. The Tailor of Gloucter was Beatrix Potter’s own favorite of her books, and you can see the coat the tailor is making in the Victoria and Albert Museum. I won’t spoil the charm and surprise of the story by saying anything more about it…..except maybe that if I had children, we would probably read this out loud on Christmas Eve (and maybe the Mr. Edwards scene in Little House on the Prairie?) Or maybe both!
A child I know once insisted that I watch the Muppets version of A Christmas Carol with her:
“You think you’ll hate it, but you’ll love it,” she said. She knew me well. Michael Caine’s performance made me understand the story in a way I never had before – especially Scrooge’s joy at the end. If you’ve never read the book, it might surprise you: the conversation between the old ladies who are laying out the corpse and counting out its possessions especially.
I mention that scene to try and show that A Christmas Carol is not what some people think it is – any more than the Muppets version was what I imagined it would be. Dickens isn’t one of my favorite writers, but I do love this book (and A Magic Fishbone and the childhood chapters of David Copperfield).
Merry Christmas to all and “God bless us each and every one!”
--Libby
1 comment:
I love these two books as well!
Merry Christmas to you, too!
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