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Norman Rockwell's Christmas Book
A collection of stories, poems, and carols by William Shakespeare, Ogden Nash, Hans Christian Andersen, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes and others complement the paintings of Norman Rockwell.
222 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
2 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Norman Rockwell
238 books43 followersNorman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter (although his Rosie was reproduced less than others of the day), Saying Grace (1951), and the Four Freedoms series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
December 1, 2012
The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus (aka Dont F*** with Santa Claus--He Don't Mess Around)
by Ogden Nash
In Baltimore there lived a boy.
He wasn't anybody's joy.
Although his name was Jabez Dawes,
His character was full of flaws.
In school he never led his classes,
He hid old ladies' reading glasses,
His mouth was open when he chewed,
And elbows to the table glued.
He stole the milk of hungry kittens,
And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE.
He said he acted thus because
There wasn't any Santa Claus.
Another trick that tickled Jabez
Was crying "Boo" at little babies.
He brushed his teeth, they said in town,
Sideways instead of up and down.
Yet people pardoned every sin,
And viewed his antics with a grin,
Till they were told by Jabez Dawes,
"There isn't any Santa Claus!"
Deploring how he did behave,
His parents swiftly sought their grave.
They hurried through the portals pearly,
And Jabez left the funeral early.
Like whooping cough, from child to child,
He sped to spread the rumor wild:
"Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes
There isn't any Santa Claus!"
Slunk like a weasel of a marten
Through nursery and kindergarten,
Whispering low to every tot,
"There isn't any, no there's not!"
The children wept all Christmas eve
And Jabez chortled up his sleeve.
No infant dared hang up his stocking
For fear of Jabez' ribald mocking.
He sprawled on his untidy bed,
Fresh malice dancing in his head,
When presently with scalp-a-tingling,
Jabez heard a distant jingling;
He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof
Crisply alighting on the roof.
What good to rise and bar the door?
A shower of soot was on the floor.
What was beheld by Jabez Dawes?
The fireplace full of Santa Claus!
Then Jabez fell upon his knees
With cries of "Don't," and "Pretty Please."
He howled, "I don't know where you read it,
But anyhow, I never said it!"
"Jabez" replied the angry saint,
"It isn't I, it's you that ain't.
Although there is a Santa Claus,
There isn't any Jabez Dawes!"
Said Jabez then with impudent vim,
"Oh, yes there is, and I am him!
Your magic don't scare me, it doesn't!"
And suddenly he found he wasn't!
From grimy feet to grimy locks,
Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box,
An ugly toy with springs unsprung,
Forever sticking out his tongue.
The neighbors heard his mournful squeal;
They searched for him, but not with zeal.
No trace was found of Jabez Dawes,
Which led to thunderous applause,
And people drank a loving cup
And went and hung their stockings up.
All you who sneer at Santa Claus,
Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes,
The saucy boy who mocked the saint.
Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.
by Ogden Nash
In Baltimore there lived a boy.
He wasn't anybody's joy.
Although his name was Jabez Dawes,
His character was full of flaws.
In school he never led his classes,
He hid old ladies' reading glasses,
His mouth was open when he chewed,
And elbows to the table glued.
He stole the milk of hungry kittens,
And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE.
He said he acted thus because
There wasn't any Santa Claus.
Another trick that tickled Jabez
Was crying "Boo" at little babies.
He brushed his teeth, they said in town,
Sideways instead of up and down.
Yet people pardoned every sin,
And viewed his antics with a grin,
Till they were told by Jabez Dawes,
"There isn't any Santa Claus!"
Deploring how he did behave,
His parents swiftly sought their grave.
They hurried through the portals pearly,
And Jabez left the funeral early.
Like whooping cough, from child to child,
He sped to spread the rumor wild:
"Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes
There isn't any Santa Claus!"
Slunk like a weasel of a marten
Through nursery and kindergarten,
Whispering low to every tot,
"There isn't any, no there's not!"
The children wept all Christmas eve
And Jabez chortled up his sleeve.
No infant dared hang up his stocking
For fear of Jabez' ribald mocking.
He sprawled on his untidy bed,
Fresh malice dancing in his head,
When presently with scalp-a-tingling,
Jabez heard a distant jingling;
He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof
Crisply alighting on the roof.
What good to rise and bar the door?
A shower of soot was on the floor.
What was beheld by Jabez Dawes?
The fireplace full of Santa Claus!
Then Jabez fell upon his knees
With cries of "Don't," and "Pretty Please."
He howled, "I don't know where you read it,
But anyhow, I never said it!"
"Jabez" replied the angry saint,
"It isn't I, it's you that ain't.
Although there is a Santa Claus,
There isn't any Jabez Dawes!"
Said Jabez then with impudent vim,
"Oh, yes there is, and I am him!
Your magic don't scare me, it doesn't!"
And suddenly he found he wasn't!
From grimy feet to grimy locks,
Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box,
An ugly toy with springs unsprung,
Forever sticking out his tongue.
The neighbors heard his mournful squeal;
They searched for him, but not with zeal.
No trace was found of Jabez Dawes,
Which led to thunderous applause,
And people drank a loving cup
And went and hung their stockings up.
All you who sneer at Santa Claus,
Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes,
The saucy boy who mocked the saint.
Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.
November 12, 2007
I enjoy this book whenever I get the whim to open it again. It brings back so many happy, comfy, childhood memories. I love Christmas and Norman Rockwell so it's the perfect combo. It helps keep the fun feeling of the holidays in my heart.
December 30, 2016
Traditional classic. The art is truly magnificent. This is a bygone era. The stories are "old fashioned" yet charming. The weakest section for me was the poetry. Actually, I enjoyed the recipes on how to truss a goose and how to make "plain paste". Children can get lost in the details of Rockwell's art. Fun memories.
December 25, 2023
Some say that ever ‘against that season comes
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad,
The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike,
No fairy takes nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow’d and so gracious is the time. Wm Shakespeare
An essential family Christmas anthology. Published 1977, it includes mostly 19th and 20th century literary offerings.
God rest you merry, Innocents,
While Innocence endures.
A sweeter Christmas than we to ours
May you bequeath to yours. Ogden Nash
Dozens of Rockwell illustrations, mostly full color.
“And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.” Taylor Caldwell.
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad,
The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike,
No fairy takes nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow’d and so gracious is the time. Wm Shakespeare
An essential family Christmas anthology. Published 1977, it includes mostly 19th and 20th century literary offerings.
God rest you merry, Innocents,
While Innocence endures.
A sweeter Christmas than we to ours
May you bequeath to yours. Ogden Nash
Dozens of Rockwell illustrations, mostly full color.
“And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.” Taylor Caldwell.
July 25, 2008
This book was a gift from my husband once upon a Christmas. I grew up knowing Rockwell through his Saturday Evening Post covers and didn't really think of him as an artist in the sense of Van Gogh or Rembrandt for example - just a great illustrator. While in Washington D.C. (1972) there was an exhibit of his paintings at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and I totally changed my feelings about Norman Rockwell. The Four Freedoms is timeless, the little girl walking to school surrounded by ?? National Guardsmen spoke eloquently of America in the 1950's. A picture truly can say a thousand words; Rockwell captured earlier 20th century America beautifully.
December 30, 2016
I was gifted this newer edition of this book this year. Maybe it is that I am indeed growing "older" but the nostalgia for me was tender and enjoyable. I realize that for me Christmas is indeed layered with music and stories and poetry and traditions. Perhaps it is the timing, but this newer edition with fifteen additional timeless pieces of art and eight pop-out art pieces that could be framed appealed to me. This is a season that I savor and love and Norman Rockwell masterfully captured it with his lasting art. This is a treasure that I can get lost in for hours.
June 5, 2013
I probably shouldn't say I've read this since all I have done is look at every page a handful of times and read a few things here and there. This is such a lovely book. Each page has beautiful detail. The cover has red foil holly and ivy around the edges. There are delightful sections including songs, recipes, poems, stories etc. Definitely worth adding to the collection.
January 1, 2019
Some stories and poems are better than others but I enjoyed looking at the artwork and singing the carols and reading the recipes about how food was made in 1896. It sounds like a lot of food was made from scratch during that period of time based on the recipes I read in here but it’s interesting. I feel like this is a book I want to read every Christmas from now on.
July 2, 2008
My very favorite Christmas Book. This is a memory of Christmas every year from the time I was nine until today. We pull it out in December and read the stories and poems over and over.
May 29, 2017
This book has a bit of everything, stories, poems. illustrations and even some great recipes.
January 15, 2019
A wonderful compilation of Christmas paired with the beautiful illustrations of Norman Rockwell. This book is filled with stories and poems I never would have read if they had not been compiled together. It truly is a Christmas treasure trove. I'm reminded of how Christmas has changed yet remained the same over the years. How a simple holiday about the birth of a child can connect us all.
December 11, 2021
This book was like a Christmas variety show. There were several of Norman Rockwell's paintings interspersed with stories of Christmas and recipes. Everything from Bible stories to Mr. Edwards bringing Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Sister presents from Santa. Very fun and nostalgic reading.
December 22, 2020
2.5 stars
I really liked Rockwell’s art; didn’t care for a lot of the stories.
I really liked Rockwell’s art; didn’t care for a lot of the stories.
December 15, 2022
My aunt bought me this when I was young, too young to appreciate it. When I saw it online, I had to scoop one up quickly. The stories were overall just okay, but the format & illustrations by Norman Rockwell make it a keeper. The pages are even bordered by Santa & his sleigh - a very lively book.
January 9, 2018
I grew up with this book and remember my dad reading us "The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus." I took the book with me when I got married 25 years ago, and our family has enjoyed this book and its beautiful Norman Rockwell illustrations. This book is a treasure! (and with recipes, carols, and selections by Shakespeare and John Milton, this treasury is good for all ages, even people like us who no longer have small children in the home)
Our family's favorites that we've read aloud many times:
"The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus" by Ogden Nash (https://westegg.com/nash/santa.html)
"Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY6kP...)
"Christmas Every Day" by William Dean Howells (https://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/wdh...)
Others I enjoyed:
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen
A Pint of Judgment by Elizabeth Morrow
A Miserable, Merry Christmas by Lincoln Steffens
The Miraculous Staircase by Arthur Gordon
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
My Christmas Miracle by Taylor Caldwell
The Legend of the Christmas Rose by Selma Lagerlöf
A Christmas dream, and How it came True by Louisa May Alcott
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus by Francis P. Church
A Surprise for the Teacher by Sam Levenson
A Gift of the Heart by Norman Vincent Peale
Christmas this Year by Booth Tarkington
Susie's Letter from Santa by Mark Twain
The saddest story in the book (shows the racism of the 1933 south): https://literaryfictions.com/fiction-...
Our family's favorites that we've read aloud many times:
"The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus" by Ogden Nash (https://westegg.com/nash/santa.html)
"Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY6kP...)
"Christmas Every Day" by William Dean Howells (https://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/wdh...)
Others I enjoyed:
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen
A Pint of Judgment by Elizabeth Morrow
A Miserable, Merry Christmas by Lincoln Steffens
The Miraculous Staircase by Arthur Gordon
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
My Christmas Miracle by Taylor Caldwell
The Legend of the Christmas Rose by Selma Lagerlöf
A Christmas dream, and How it came True by Louisa May Alcott
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus by Francis P. Church
A Surprise for the Teacher by Sam Levenson
A Gift of the Heart by Norman Vincent Peale
Christmas this Year by Booth Tarkington
Susie's Letter from Santa by Mark Twain
The saddest story in the book (shows the racism of the 1933 south): https://literaryfictions.com/fiction-...
November 23, 2013
I know it's a bit early in the season to be reading a book like this, but it caught my eye at the library (part of a lovely holiday display). What can I say? I've always enjoyed Rockwell's illustrations, with all their detail, cleverness, and good humor. This book also contains a nice collection of Christmas stories, poems, and songs. What a great way to get in the Christmas spirit, even though it's not quite Thanksgiving yet.
January 3, 2014
There are some Christmas stories I have never heard of, and that is a pretty incredible feat. So many selections popular now (here's hoping Elf on a Shelf) will be obsolete in fifty years, just as many of these literary selections are unrecognized now. If you see this, pick it up and get it out every year with the stockings and ornaments and Great Aunt Edna's fruitcake. And then, if you're daring, make the full dinner listed in the final section of the book.
December 10, 2011
Just bought this book and read through it! This was a tradition to have out at Christmas growing up and I'm so excited to share it with my kids! I love that there are traditional Christmas stories, carols AND classic N.R. art work all in one book!
If you need to buy a gift for someone this is something that people will pull out every year and cherish!
If you need to buy a gift for someone this is something that people will pull out every year and cherish!
December 1, 2009
This is another book that I grew up with, and always remember reading during the holidays. It's chock full of songs, poems, stories and of course lots of beautiful Norman Rockwell art celebrating the Christmas season. A great book to put on your coffee table in December.
December 26, 2015
This was my Christmas book for 2015, and I loved it. It's a collection of some familiar and some unfamiliar stories, poems, and artwork. If you're a fan of Norman Rockwell then you'll most likely be a fan of the traditional Americana spirit that accompanies this Christmas collection.
January 11, 2011
Was expecting more of an art collection. THis had sheet music, recipes, poems, stories, etc. (and pictures scattered throughout)
YTou can always get these for a penny on amazon.
YTou can always get these for a penny on amazon.
November 20, 2011
This is a delightful coffe table book filled with short stories, poems, carols, and not nearly enough pictures. I read many of the short stories. There are even recipes at the end.
November 21, 2011
Every Christmas we would pull this out and put it on the coffee table. We read it countless times. Highly recommended as a charming Christmas gift/decoration.
February 9, 2016
Need to re-read! A Christmas staple,but read years ago.
February 17, 2016
Nice Christmas anthology. A collection of stories, sheet music, poetry, memoirs and even recipes by famous authors.
December 18, 2020
Published in 1977, the book contains poems, stories, carols, and authors’s Christmas recollections. Throughout are dozens of Rockwell’s colorful and familiar pictures. We’ve had the book in our family for several years, but I never really sat down and read it cover to cover until this year. I was a little disappointed. Molly Rockwell, who had been head of the English department at a prep school before marrying Norman, was the editor. Thus much of the content came from 18th to mid 19th Century authors, some good, some pretty terrible. I will mention a few of the ones I read.
I disliked Anderson’s “The Fir Tree”, “Our Lady’s Juggler” by Anatole France, Dickens’ “Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton”, and “Christmas Everyday” by William Howells. I enjoyed “One Christmas Eve” by Langston Hughes, “My Christmas Miracle” by Taylor Caldwell, “Christmas in Maine”, by Robert Coffin, “A Gift of the Heart” by Norman Vincent Peale, and Booth Tarkington’s “Christmas This Year” was interesting because it discussed St. Nicholas of Bari who was the inspiration for today’s Santa Claus. I think my favorite was a story I had never heard before by Arthur Gordon entitled “The Miraculous Staircase” about an unknown man who build a spiral staircase for the sisters of a chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico who could not reach their choir loft. It turns out this is a true story. Photos of the staircase are online. It is truly beautiful and amazing.
I disliked Anderson’s “The Fir Tree”, “Our Lady’s Juggler” by Anatole France, Dickens’ “Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton”, and “Christmas Everyday” by William Howells. I enjoyed “One Christmas Eve” by Langston Hughes, “My Christmas Miracle” by Taylor Caldwell, “Christmas in Maine”, by Robert Coffin, “A Gift of the Heart” by Norman Vincent Peale, and Booth Tarkington’s “Christmas This Year” was interesting because it discussed St. Nicholas of Bari who was the inspiration for today’s Santa Claus. I think my favorite was a story I had never heard before by Arthur Gordon entitled “The Miraculous Staircase” about an unknown man who build a spiral staircase for the sisters of a chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico who could not reach their choir loft. It turns out this is a true story. Photos of the staircase are online. It is truly beautiful and amazing.
October 16, 2023
It's a Christmas book. There are Christmas stories, Christmas poems, and Christmas carols. And of course, lots of Norman Rockwell Christmas paintings. What wouldn't I love?
Tis the season. Almost.
Tis the season. Almost.
January 11, 2021
I picked this up for my husband from a bargain bin. We all call him Mr. Christmas; he plays Christmas music all year long in his 3rd floor hideaway.
With this edition collection having the name of Norman Rockwell as its compiler, I was sold. This is such a nice book to peruse. It's larger size format allowing better formatting for poems and displaying art. This will remain a book on our shelf for years to come.
With this edition collection having the name of Norman Rockwell as its compiler, I was sold. This is such a nice book to peruse. It's larger size format allowing better formatting for poems and displaying art. This will remain a book on our shelf for years to come.
December 12, 2024
Exactly what you think it is, so you probably know whether you'll like it. Makes for a handsome coffee table book--we inherited ours from my in-laws. Easy to pick up & just leaf through, whether reading bits or looking at the wonderful illustrations, which I did for years of holiday visits to their house. Anyways, between this holiday season & last, I decided to commit myself to reading the whole thing, & very much enjoyed it.
December 22, 2024
The artwork in the book is amazing! For that, I would give 5 stars. Not all the stories and poems resonated with me, however, and thus the 4 stars. Some of the story gems in this book include: The Gift of the Magi, The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton, A Christmas Dream, and How it Came True, and A Gift of the Heart. Ogden Nash's poem, The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus is a wonderfully light and fun poem. The book is a nice piece of Christmas nostalgia.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews