Christmas Cricket

by Eve Bunting, Timothy Bush (Illustrations)

In a California garden on a rainy night, Cricket feels small and worthless. He hops up some steps and finds himself in a place filled with light and warmth and a tall, sparkling tree. He begins to sing but is scared into silence by two voices, one big and one small. It is then that he makes a marvelous discovery. Eve Bunting’s text is filled with her customary tenderness and charm, and Timothy Bush has captured its mood in his luminous illustrations. Together they create a memorable holiday book about a cricket who discovers that though he may be small, he is not insignificant.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2002

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cricket brings his joyful noise to the place he has hidden himself in in a Christmas tree.
I have always been amazed by the body of work that Eve Bunting has contributed to children's literature. This Irish woman who transplanted to California and became an author passed away on October 1, 2023 at the age of 94. My top two favorites by her are THE WEDNESDAY SURPRISE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR DUCK.
We miss you Eve Bunting. Thanks for all of your stories.

There are several key factors to her writing that I see:
*compassion *humor *a reverence for the ordinary moments *respect for nature *the willingness to tackle very tough subjects *offering solutions *everything presents a story!
*Eve was assigned a different illustrator for each of her books. Miraculously, each match fits perfectly.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

There isn't a lot to this picture book, but the sentiments of family and belonging that are expressed within its pages are lovely.
A cricket makes its way into a human family's kitchen one Christmas Eve night, and hides within their Christmas tree for shelter. The simple story that unfolds from this point, though so spare in its details, will truly remain in the reader's heart.
Eve Bunting is very skilled at writing holiday picture books that uniquely reflect the spirit of that particular holiday, and Christmas Cricket is no exception. I would give it at least one and a half stars, and probably two.

[Cosette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy fortune cookie style. Maybe ok for an older child to read to self? Younger kid read aloud did not work :-(

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

On Christmas Eve, a cricket finds himself feeling worthless and hops up some stairs and into a home that is warm and bright. He hops into the Christmas tree and begins to sing.

The father in the story says "Did you know that angels sing in the songs of birds, and frogs, and people, and crickets?".

So cricket feels no longer worthless and continues to sing and sing.

Unfortunately, Scripture doesn't say anything about angels singing in animals or crickets....

[Alyssa Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why do I feel like I used to have a Christmas book with twinkling lights and cricket sounds when I was a child? I loved that book. Was it not a Christmas book? Well, whatever it was... it was not this book 😬 Oof.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute little book! On a cold winter's night, a family has a special little visitor -- a chirpy cricket who learns that even the smallest have an important place in the world. Beautiful imagery and important message. Highly recommend for a holiday gift or read aloud book!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

None of us are too small or worthless because angels sing with our voice.

[Rebecca Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, quiet story. I love the warm glowy feel of the Christmas lights in the illustrations.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just an average Christmas story

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cricket was feeling small and worthless until he discovered something amazing that lifted his spirits, and made him feel much better about himself.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and story.

[Cassidy Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cricket hopped all over the place, through the snow, to the pond, and across the grass. When it turned dark outside, he sang, sang and sang. People heard him and it gave them joy.

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindy 5 stars

[Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year we are doing picture books and Christmas hymns before bed so this book was a great prelude to the song, "Joy to the World". :)

[Kim Novak (The Reading Rx) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book were absolutely gorgeous. The story was sort of boring for me and didn’t capture what would really happen if a cricket made its way into your Christmas tree.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

When a little cricket finds it's way into a house and nestles in a Christmas tree, he lets out a chirp. And then naturally the father of the house says to his child: "Did you know that angels sing in the songs of birds, and frogs and people and crickets?" I mean, isn't that what you think when you hear a cricket chirp - that angels possess animals and take over their vocal chords?

Laughing and dumbfounded!

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[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

As holiday stories go, this one was rather light, but I liked it an awful lot. The illustrations were wonderfully detailed. The writing was very special, Bunting using so few words on any given page to say so very much. The text was almost poetry. It was a story that any reader could read, but an especially conscious would comprehend. Really nicely done.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A precious story by Eve Bunting. I can imagine the inspiration for this story. Illustrations capture the California setting. Most holiday settings are covered in snow, do it is nice that we see the palm trees in this seting.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little cricket finds a home for Christmas and finds out he's not so worthless, after all!

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like a waste of time with its wacky theology of angels singing and inane plot line. The moments of interaction b/n a father and daughter are the only meaningful moments.

[Tam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit too young for my 5-year-old so he didn't really like it. As a parent, I didn't like that the cricket thought he was small and worthless.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, almost sparse text, adds to the cricket's discovery of his importance. Do angels sing in the voices of crickets?

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

short and sweet story of a rainy Christmas in California, love the gentle illustrations of the cricket.

[Clyde Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute, quiet Xmas story

[Claudia Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your size does not matter!