Country Angel Christmas

by Tomie dePaola

Ari, Pip, and Kira are the first to hear the news! St. Nicholas wants the Country Angels to plan the Christmas celebration for all of Heaven. They can't wait to get started.

But the three littlest angels haven't bargained on being told to stay out of the way when they offer to help the kitchen angels sift and bake, the barn angels groom the animals for the procession, or the music angels compose and sing new carols.

Just when they have given up, St. Nicholas finds the perfect job for Ari, Pip, and Kira. Because with all the baking, brushing, and singing going on, the Country Angels seem to have forgotten the most important detail of all.

Tomie dePaola's love of Christmas and the wonderful preparations that lead up to the day shines through in story and art as his endearing cast of Country Angels create their heavenly tribute.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fiction, Angels

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 1995

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this story is slight fantasy (who knows what types of angels there are) the main message was sweet. And I just love Tomie's illustrations, the people are so adorable and lovable. I would recommend this book.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...

[✨Arline✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was. Weird.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quirky story, but the surprising character names keep it interesting. I love dePaola, but this is near the bottom of his works in my eyes. Still, the illustrations are charming.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Country Angels have been chosen to make the Christmas celebration for all of Heaven. In the midst of all the preparations, Ari, Pip and Kira are told they are too young to help with anything. But with the help of St. Nicholas, their preparations save the Christmas celebration. This is a sweet Christmas story with Tomie dePaola's typically great illustrations.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Santa has chosen the country angels to plan the Christmas celebration, but Ari, Pip, Kira are considered by the other country angels to be to little to assist. Santa has a bright shining idea for the three littlest angels to prepare for the celebration. A sweet blend of the secular and religious Christmas stories.

[Amy C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Tomie de Paola, but all of my girls love it. Sweet story, and TdP's illustrations are always irresistible.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When St. Nicholas comes to the Country Angels to let them know they will be in charge of Heaven's Christmas celebration this year, everyone has a task to accomplish. From Adasa the Kitchen Angel, who sets out to prepare a feast, to the singers amongst the Music Angels, occupied practicing their songs, everyone is busy. Everyone that is, except the three littlest angels, Ari, Pip and Kira, who are continually told their are too small to be of help. Fortunately, St. Nicholas discovers this problem, and helps them to find a job that is very important after all...

I grew up on author/illustrator Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona books, as well as his wonderful The Clown of God , which was a childhood favorite, and have been exploring more of his work recently. I wasn't sure what to expect with Country Angel Christmas, as the story sounds rather quirky, but in the end I found it sweet and heartwarming. Though the cast of characters is angelic, children will be able to identify with Ari, Pip and Kira, who want to participate in all of the preparations, but are always being told they are too young and small. The artwork here is vintage dePaola—I particularly liked St. Nicholas' plaid flannel jacket and cap!—and adds to the fun. I don't know that this is one of the creator's best, nor that it will become a Christmas favorite, but I'm glad to have read it. Recommended to dePaola fans at the holidays, and to picture book readers who sometimes feel as if they are being excluded, for being too young or too small.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Country Angels are tasked with the Christmas celebration of the heavens. All the angels get busy doing their part, but the three littlest angels are not wanted in the kitchen, or the barn, or anywhere else. But Santa knows that even the littlest can help, and gives them an important job that all the other country angels overlooked.

A good message about how even the littlest can help.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story about how everyone can be useful and help in important ways even if it’s not obvious at first. It also features diversity: the angel names are not standard, commonplace; there are angels of various racial looks and even angels that look like animals with wings. I was stumbling over the names so that’s what I knocked the star off for.

[Hanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new family favorite! What an unique narrative approach which ties in a number of elements which my children really enjoyed! I went down by one star because while I think they were trying to make the focus in the end be what happened in the manger that night, they didn't actually draw an illustration of the baby Jesus in the manger.

[Javier Trost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomie dePaola is one of my favorite children's authors and illustrators. I had never read this one before. It has heart which all of his stories do so I think it is good. The lesson I would hope children would take away from this that EVERYONE is important when it comes to Christmas.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ages: 4 - 7

Cleanliness: Has Santa Claus in the story.

#christmas

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of odd Christmas story.

[Chinook · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a sweet story, but we are strictly secular Christmas people do I think we’ll pass it on to more religious friends next year.

[Samuel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Illustrations are not easy to follow with the story. Mixes Santa with heaven too much.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a tad confused...Santa and angels? Where are the elves? Is Santa supposed to be dead?

[Rowena Aldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story, beautiful book.

[Rick Christiansen · Rating 1 out of 5]

That is one of the worst Christmas related books I have ever read. I may burn the copy because it will probably just sit at Goodwill if I donate it.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite of his.

[Sean Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable x-mas mythologies!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the country angels were busily preparing to make the Christmas celebration in Heaven, at St. Nicholas' request; all except for the three littlest angels who were told by the other angels they would be in the way and couldn't help. When St. Nicholas discovered the three had nothing to do he gave them a very important role. Charming illustrations.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a rare dislike from me for author and illustrator Tomie dePaola. Santa is in heaven and tells the country angels they have to decorate heaven for Christmas. I just didn't care for the plot.

[Lynne Vanderveen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always love Tomie dePaola's illustrations. And I usually love his stories. This one is so-so. I understand that there are many variations of Christmas customs and all…but Santa lives in heaven? I hadn't heard that one before. Not only that, but he lives there with all sorts of angels but never a mention of Jesus? (Okay, the last page has all of the characters kneeling in front of a well-lit door that could be a barn door I guess and reads, "Silent night, holy night. All is calm. All is bright." I guess the inference is there, but….). Overall it reminded me of the old Coca-Cola Santa kneeling in front of a manger as he drinks a Coke. I never liked that much - it confuses the focus. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the story of Jesus' birth. I also love the story of Santa and elves at the NORTH POLE. I just don't like forcing them to live on the same plain.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book.

I found this in my Favorite Authors basket of my classroom library when I needed a quick read-aloud.

This was the story of some angels in heaven who are planning to decorate heaven for Christmas. The little baby angels keep trying to help out, but the regular size angels push them out of the way. In the end, they find a way to help.

Tomie dePaola's illustrations were charming as usual and the kids seemed to like the story. It wouldn't be appropriate for a public school classroom though, for obvious reasons. :)

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you thought explaining Santa Claus to your kids was confusing enough, try wrapping your head around a Christmas celebration in Heaven, a place that isn't any different from Earth except that there are no grown-ups and little kids have wings and God still isn't visible. Or maybe God is Santa Claus.
The pictures are gorgeous, though. Get this book for your three year old to enjoy the soft warm colors of leaf shaped trees, random animals, pink wings, stars, flowers, Santa dressed as a lumberjack, and kids of different races.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute. I'll read anything by dePaola. The illustrations are adorable. I love the ending scenes with the parade. This is my daughter's current favorite Christmas book but my husband hates it because he thinks the story is awful. I am taking a star off on his behalf because of all the mean angels and because the presence of child angels (note: they are a distinct heavenly creature, not a deceased human) makes him question if they are stuck as children forever which he thinks is creepy

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual story about Christmas, from the perspective of angels. The narrative is sweet and offers the message that even the smallest among us can contribute big to the overall effort. The illustrations are classic Tomie dePaola and complement the story nicely.

[Taryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Growing up as an evangelical Protestant, I'm uncomfortable putting Jesus' story in with Santa Claus. However, as I contemplate Roman Catholicism, I'm learning to embrace mystery and the beauty of culture. Still, the Angels put me off and I didn't think it was a strong story. I love this author but he's done much better.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So ... heaven must be made up of different "neighborhoods." This book celebrates the young angels who live in the country (on clouds complete with pastures, barns, and angel animals). And, they celebrate Christmas.

[Haley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be used for many inclusion topics. All of the children are of different ethnicity. They have unique names such as Ari and Pip. This book also speaks of angels which can be used with religious teachings.