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One Hundred Shining Candles
This well-loved storybook has been reissued with enhanced reproduction and many newly created illustrations just in time for a warm Christmas read under a cozy quilt by the light of a flickering fire.
Ten-year-old Lucy is a pioneer girl in the Upper Canada of 1800. Her imagination fired by the schoolmaster’s stories of Christmas memories, Lucy sets about making a special Yuletide gift — something her frail mother will be able to remember and cherish forever. But even with the unwelcome help of her little brother, Dan, making one hundred handmade candles to light on Christmas night is a daunting task. Limited supplies and resources make the job that much harder, but in the end it is Lucy’s own bossiness that nearly causes a disaster. Deeply disappointed in herself, Lucy accepts the sacrifice Dan offers to make, and together the children manage to create the most wonderful of all Christmases.
One Hundred Shining Candles , written by one of Canada’s best writers for children, shows readers of all ages the true joy of giving from the heart. Delicate illustrations throughout perfectly depict this gentle story set against harsh times.
Ten-year-old Lucy is a pioneer girl in the Upper Canada of 1800. Her imagination fired by the schoolmaster’s stories of Christmas memories, Lucy sets about making a special Yuletide gift — something her frail mother will be able to remember and cherish forever. But even with the unwelcome help of her little brother, Dan, making one hundred handmade candles to light on Christmas night is a daunting task. Limited supplies and resources make the job that much harder, but in the end it is Lucy’s own bossiness that nearly causes a disaster. Deeply disappointed in herself, Lucy accepts the sacrifice Dan offers to make, and together the children manage to create the most wonderful of all Christmases.
One Hundred Shining Candles , written by one of Canada’s best writers for children, shows readers of all ages the true joy of giving from the heart. Delicate illustrations throughout perfectly depict this gentle story set against harsh times.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Janet Lunn
30 books36 followersJanet was born Janet Louise Swoboda on December 28, 1928 in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A, moved to Vermont when she was two and lived there until she was ten when the family moved to the outskirts of New York City. She came to Canada in 1946 to go to Notre Dame College in Ottawa and then to Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. There she met and married Richard Lunn, a fellow student. She has lived in Canada ever since. Janet has five children, ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1987.
"Those," she says, "are the bare bones of my life story. The part that's interesting to readers has to do with reading, writing and daydreaming which are all, in my case, one and the same." She calls herself a dedicated daydreamer and says she has been that, "almost from the moment I was born. Even before I could read I was dreaming up stories. The sound of the wind in the ancient pine tree outside my window in our old farmhouse accompanied all my childhood imaginings. When I was in my teens and living far from that beloved home, I began writing stories with the sound of that tree still singing in my head."
Years later, in Canada, when her children were in their school years, the Lunn family went to live in an old farmhouse at the edge of a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario. "I loved that house, too, she says, "and I began writing stories about it and the people who might once have lived in it. The stories I made up about the Vermont house have long since vanished but the ones I wrote about the Ontario-house families are The Root Cellar, Shadow in Hawthorn Bay and The Hollow Tree."
Janet lives in Ottawa now in a small city house but, chances are, her stories will still reflect her love of the countryside and those old farmhouses.
"Those," she says, "are the bare bones of my life story. The part that's interesting to readers has to do with reading, writing and daydreaming which are all, in my case, one and the same." She calls herself a dedicated daydreamer and says she has been that, "almost from the moment I was born. Even before I could read I was dreaming up stories. The sound of the wind in the ancient pine tree outside my window in our old farmhouse accompanied all my childhood imaginings. When I was in my teens and living far from that beloved home, I began writing stories with the sound of that tree still singing in my head."
Years later, in Canada, when her children were in their school years, the Lunn family went to live in an old farmhouse at the edge of a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario. "I loved that house, too, she says, "and I began writing stories about it and the people who might once have lived in it. The stories I made up about the Vermont house have long since vanished but the ones I wrote about the Ontario-house families are The Root Cellar, Shadow in Hawthorn Bay and The Hollow Tree."
Janet lives in Ottawa now in a small city house but, chances are, her stories will still reflect her love of the countryside and those old farmhouses.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 11, 2023
A sweetly poignant Canadian pioneer themed Christmas story is One Hundred Shining Candles, and both Janet Lunn's featured narrative and Lindsay Grater's pictorial accompaniments are evocative of the season, and clearly, lovingly demonstrate that often, handmade gifts of love and light are and will always be better and much more personally satisfying than any store-bought trinkets and ornaments can be. For although in One Hundred Shining Candles main protagonist Lucy and her younger brother Dan's home-made Christmas candles do not in any way equal the one hundred they had fondly wanted and hoped to make (and while Lucy's bossiness and impatience almost ends up ruining the Christmas surprise for their ailing mother and worried father) the five handmade and rather lopsidedly blotchy candles they do manage to make, they light up the family home and gladden all off their hearts (with the mother's eyes glowing with pleasure and the father's countenance much softer and more hopeful since the mother became ill).
And I do love and much appreciate how in One Hundred Shining Candles both Lucy and Dan readily and even easily give up their special personal treasures in order to make the Christmas surprise for their parents become a reality. Now Dan giving up the penny that he had received from his grandfather (to get more tallow after Lucy ruined the first batch) and Lucy sacrificing the red madder root dye which was supposed to be for a new spring dress, these seemingly small sacrifices might not seem like all that much for modern children, but in the pioneer days of the 19th century Ontario backwoods, both money and supplies like dyes were scarce and expensive for the average woodsman and his family. Which is also why the ailing mother's insistence in One Hundred Shining Candles on a small sack of white flower for baking special Christmas breads (one for the family and one as a holiday treat for the wild birds) is such a special and evocative offering (as white flour was usually much much more expensive than the everyday whole wheat flour a family generally used for their daily baking needs, although, and ironically enough, today, whole wheat flour tends to be the special treat, the healthier and often more expensive option, and white flour the mundane and commonplace, a scenario that might be an interesting topic for conversation and discussion).
So yes, Janet Lunn's text, it flows sweetly, smoothly, tenderly, and while I do not really consider One Hundred Shining Candles as in any way spectacular or overly "wowing" both Lunn's presented narrative and Linday Grater's accompanying pictorials, they do provide, they do create a lovely little Christmas tale, a caressingly family friendly sweet and evocative marriage of text and image (definitely suitable for a read aloud with and to younger children, but for children reading on their own, I would generally tend to recommend One Hundred Shining Candles for older children above the ages of seven or eight, as there is quite a lot of somewhat dense text, and with this actually making One Hundred Shining Candles more an illustrated short chapter book than a standard picture book offering, although I personally am still going to be shelving One Hundred Shining Candles as a picture book).
And I do love and much appreciate how in One Hundred Shining Candles both Lucy and Dan readily and even easily give up their special personal treasures in order to make the Christmas surprise for their parents become a reality. Now Dan giving up the penny that he had received from his grandfather (to get more tallow after Lucy ruined the first batch) and Lucy sacrificing the red madder root dye which was supposed to be for a new spring dress, these seemingly small sacrifices might not seem like all that much for modern children, but in the pioneer days of the 19th century Ontario backwoods, both money and supplies like dyes were scarce and expensive for the average woodsman and his family. Which is also why the ailing mother's insistence in One Hundred Shining Candles on a small sack of white flower for baking special Christmas breads (one for the family and one as a holiday treat for the wild birds) is such a special and evocative offering (as white flour was usually much much more expensive than the everyday whole wheat flour a family generally used for their daily baking needs, although, and ironically enough, today, whole wheat flour tends to be the special treat, the healthier and often more expensive option, and white flour the mundane and commonplace, a scenario that might be an interesting topic for conversation and discussion).
So yes, Janet Lunn's text, it flows sweetly, smoothly, tenderly, and while I do not really consider One Hundred Shining Candles as in any way spectacular or overly "wowing" both Lunn's presented narrative and Linday Grater's accompanying pictorials, they do provide, they do create a lovely little Christmas tale, a caressingly family friendly sweet and evocative marriage of text and image (definitely suitable for a read aloud with and to younger children, but for children reading on their own, I would generally tend to recommend One Hundred Shining Candles for older children above the ages of seven or eight, as there is quite a lot of somewhat dense text, and with this actually making One Hundred Shining Candles more an illustrated short chapter book than a standard picture book offering, although I personally am still going to be shelving One Hundred Shining Candles as a picture book).
December 30, 2010
This is a nice Christmas story about a poor farming family in rural Canada in 1800 and the children who are inspired by a pastor's story to create 100 shining candles to brighten their family Christmas. Though things don't go quite according to plan, love and good-humor triumph in this heartwarming tale.
I really loved Janet Lunn's children's novel, "The Root Cellar" and had high hopes for this book. While I'm not sure I was completely captivated by her wordweaving here, it is still a nice (somewhat lengthy) picture book for the holiday season and especially nice for those seeking a Canadian setting. I love the cover illustration! I think it's my favorite in the book, though many of the others are very nice, too (and I like the frequency of the tabby cat!)
I really loved Janet Lunn's children's novel, "The Root Cellar" and had high hopes for this book. While I'm not sure I was completely captivated by her wordweaving here, it is still a nice (somewhat lengthy) picture book for the holiday season and especially nice for those seeking a Canadian setting. I love the cover illustration! I think it's my favorite in the book, though many of the others are very nice, too (and I like the frequency of the tabby cat!)
December 4, 2010
I really enjoyed this author’s children’s historical fiction time travel novel The Root Cellar, and I wanted to read more books by her, and this advanced picture book was mentioned over in the Children's Books group, so I reserved it from my library’s LINK+ system, which makes books from other regional libraries available to the patrons of my city’s library.
The story is a perfect Christmas story. A poor family consisting of a sick mother, father, and two children, a girl, Lucy, and her younger brother Sam, will have only one treat for this Christmas: their annual white bread, one large loaf for the family and one small loaf the mother makes for the birds.
When in their one room schoolhouse, Sam becomes enchanted with their teacher’s description of the wonders of Christmastime he’s seen in the big city. The two children make big sacrifices and work to create a special Christmas for the whole family. It’s all very heartwarming.
I really enjoyed the illustrations. Each one stands on its own as a lovely picture. I particularly liked the outdoor snowy scenes, the bird, the cat. and the colors used in every illustration.
The story is a perfect Christmas story. A poor family consisting of a sick mother, father, and two children, a girl, Lucy, and her younger brother Sam, will have only one treat for this Christmas: their annual white bread, one large loaf for the family and one small loaf the mother makes for the birds.
When in their one room schoolhouse, Sam becomes enchanted with their teacher’s description of the wonders of Christmastime he’s seen in the big city. The two children make big sacrifices and work to create a special Christmas for the whole family. It’s all very heartwarming.
I really enjoyed the illustrations. Each one stands on its own as a lovely picture. I particularly liked the outdoor snowy scenes, the bird, the cat. and the colors used in every illustration.
December 1, 2018
Lucy Jamiesen, a ten-year-old girl living in the deep woods of Upper Canada (present day southern Ontario) in 1800, is inspired by her schoolmaster's tale of the "one hundred shining candles" he saw one Christmas season, in the big city, and decides to make some candles as a holiday present for her parents. But although she and her younger brother Dan start out with the best of intentions, somehow things don't go quite as planned. First they must smuggle the dye and the tinder-box out of the house, and then, when an accident upsets the kettle, Dan must spend his only penny - a special gift from Grandpa - on more tallow. But although their creation is far from smooth, and their appearance somewhat uneven, those candles have true holiday magic in them, as Lucy and Dan discover, Christmas morning...
After greatly enjoying Canadian author Janet Lunn's The Root Cellar - a time travel novel for young readers - I had been meaning to read more of her work, and was therefore quite pleased when this holiday story was mentioned, over in a discussion of Christmas titles, in the online children's books group to which I belong. An engaging, heartwarming story that puts family love and the true spirit of the holiday front and center, One Hundred Shining Candles does not disappoint! The illustrations, done by Lindsay Grater, are not really in a style I admire (I don't care for her faces), but still work well with the narrative. All in all, a sweet little Christmas book! Recommended to young readers interested in Christmas stories set in historical periods, and featuring pioneers.
After greatly enjoying Canadian author Janet Lunn's The Root Cellar - a time travel novel for young readers - I had been meaning to read more of her work, and was therefore quite pleased when this holiday story was mentioned, over in a discussion of Christmas titles, in the online children's books group to which I belong. An engaging, heartwarming story that puts family love and the true spirit of the holiday front and center, One Hundred Shining Candles does not disappoint! The illustrations, done by Lindsay Grater, are not really in a style I admire (I don't care for her faces), but still work well with the narrative. All in all, a sweet little Christmas book! Recommended to young readers interested in Christmas stories set in historical periods, and featuring pioneers.
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October 24, 2018Sweet Christmas story. If only everyone would 'keep Christmas in their hearts, all year long.' Sharing joy and light is important.
January 1, 2016
I understand their love for candle light! I love making candles and eating in the dark (around a table lit by a few scrony candles)
Like the two children in the book, most of my Christmas presents I give consist of candles! Hey, their in the mood!
Like the two children in the book, most of my Christmas presents I give consist of candles! Hey, their in the mood!
February 24, 2020
This story was mostly very sweet. As a Canadian living abroad, I appreciated it was set in "Upper" Canada. However, there were two parts I skipped when reading it aloud to my children (ages 4,5&6). The first was a threat the older sister made to her brother if he ruined her surprise that she would "skin and boil him". Second was a comparison of the two children to witches as they were heating up the tallow over a fire to make candles. Neither of those things are something I want to expose my children to, but we enjoyed the illustrations and the story - with a few minor adjustments.
November 29, 2017
I loved the Canadian setting for this book the illustrations. A story of making Christmas better for others and not expecting something in return.
November 24, 2009
A story about children who plan a gift for their parents for Christmas, this one avoids being trite because the the author created genuine children whose gift of candles becomes magical in spite, or maybe because, of its flaws. I like to read a Christmas story to my children every evening in December, and this year I will include this one. My aim is to eventually have 24 stories I genuinely anticipate reading instead of several I endure and a few I find enchanting.
November 1, 2010
one of those good deed books that even as you see it coming, you cannot help but feel moved - in this case because the author captured that child's sense of yearning to give something special to one's parent, the disappointment at failed effort, the determination to push through with a good idea etc. sort of waltons meets little house on the prairie kind of good story with a Christmas bent.
November 29, 2008
Sweet story about two children from a poor family determined to make Christmas special. Lovely illustrations by Lindsay Grater.
Reminded me of Laura Engals Wilder.
Reminded me of Laura Engals Wilder.
December 24, 2018
Junior level book that would appeal to fans of the "Little House" books. A reminder to count our modern day blessings and wealth.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews