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My First Little House Books
Christmas in the Big Woods
A beautiful full-color hardcover picture book introduction to the beloved Little House series, perfect for younger readers.
Christmas has come to the Big Woods of Wisconsin! Laura and her family are excited to celebrate. When Laura’s cousins, aunt, and uncle arrive, they spend their time together eating sweets, playing in the snow, and reading. Their holiday celebrations are full of simple joys.
The warm paintings by Renée Graef are inspired by Garth Williams’ classic illustrations and lovingly bring the Ingalls family to life.
Christmas has come to the Big Woods of Wisconsin! Laura and her family are excited to celebrate. When Laura’s cousins, aunt, and uncle arrive, they spend their time together eating sweets, playing in the snow, and reading. Their holiday celebrations are full of simple joys.
The warm paintings by Renée Graef are inspired by Garth Williams’ classic illustrations and lovingly bring the Ingalls family to life.
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 1995
About the author
Laura Ingalls Wilder
498 books5,703 followersLaura Ingalls Wilder was an American author, journalist, and educator whose "Little House" series transformed the arduous reality of the American frontier into a foundational pillar of children's literature. Born in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura’s childhood was a nomadic journey through the heart of a shifting nation. Her family moved across Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory—often staying just ahead of legal evictions or chasing the promise of fertile soil. These years were marked by extreme hardship, including the "Hard Winter" of 1880–81 in De Smet, South Dakota, where the family survived near-starvation. Despite the struggle, these experiences provided the raw material for her eight-volume record of pioneer life, a series that has since been translated into over forty languages.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit.
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November 30, 2017
I love the Little House books. I love Christmas. Therefore, when I was watching a Hallmark Christmas movie and saw Christmas in the Big Woods flashed on screen, it was a no-brainer. I purchased it within five seconds.
Christmas in the Big Woods is part of the family My First Little House Books, directed at the age 4-8 crowd. It is culled from the Christmas story in Little House in the Big Woods and adorned with warm illustrations patterned off the classic artwork done by Garth Williams. The night it arrived at our doorstep, it garnered immediate interest from my two older children: Emilia (Millie) who is almost six; and Gracie (Grapey) who is three. I didn't plan on reading it to them immediately, since it was already pretty late. But when Gracie asked me to read “The Christmas Woods Book,” I could not resist.
As most of you know, I’m not a prolific reviewer of children’s books. I have, in fact, only ever done this once before. That was last year, when I attempted to enlist the support of Emilia and Grace in reviewing The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends, which they received as a gift. The results were mixed. Nevertheless, I am back at it, because as the old saying goes: Even when you have utterly failed, you should try again.
So, once again, I conducted a joint interview for this book review. They did not receive any compensation for their participation, save getting to stay up roughly 45 minutes later than usual. Without further ado, I present for your consideration, Emilia & Grace Review Christmas in the Big Woods.
Meet your reviewers: Grace (L) is three; Emilia (R) is nearing six. Phoebe, aged one, was not present, but we might have woken her up
(Reviewers Note: This interview with my children has been edited for clarity. Heavily edited. Painstakingly edited. You might even say that “clarity” is an artificial construct that I conjured from the chaos of this exercise).
[Emilia and Grace have just gotten bunk beds, so the inaugural reading of Christmas in the Big Woods takes place in my bed. We get through one page before Grace gets up to leave].
ME: Where are you going?
GRACE: I need to get my blankie.
ME: You can get under the covers.
GRACE: I want my blankie.
[Grace returns with her blanket, along with a stuffed Tala from The Lion King].
ME: Are you ready?
GRACE: I need to get cozy.
[Grace situates herself on the bed, and then spends a minute propping up Tala on a pillow. I faintly recall the reason I don’t do more joint book reviews. I continue reading. About halfway through the book, the girls start arguing about which characters they resemble].
EMILIA: Laura has bangs like me.
GRACE: Millie, I can’t really see your bangs right now.
EMILIA: Grace! Don't talk to me.
GRACE: Millie! You don't talk to me!
ME: Both of you stop.
EMILIA: Is this part of the interview?
ME: No.
[Around this point, Grace gets up again and leaves].
ME: What are you doing?
GRACE: I want to get a blanket for my stuffed animal because she’s cold. I’m going to name her a different name. I’m going to call her Laura.
EMILIA: Her name is Tala.
GRACE: Her name is Laura. No! It’s Belle.
ME: Do we want to stop for the night?
GRACE: Her name is Belle.
ME: Fine.
[Somehow, by the grace of God, we manage to get through this 32 page book. I pull out my legal pad and pen].
ME: I was thinking that we should do an interview about this book, like we did with the kraken book. Does that sound okay.
EMILIA: No. I mean yes.
GRACE: Yes, I do too.
ME: Okay. Did you like it?
EMILIA: We like the shark smiling. [This refers to The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends]
ME: No, we’re going to talk about this book. Good memory though.
[At this point, Emilia tries to take my legal pad].
EMILIA: Can I try to read it?
ME: When I’m done.
EMILIA: Can I spell their names?
ME: You can spell one of their names.
EMILIA: [Spells out J-A-C-K. It seems to take ten minutes, but probably only took three].
ME: All right. Now, did you guys like this Laura book?
EMILIA: Yes.
GRACE: Yes, but I want to name the cat. [In the book, there is a nameless and unmentioned cat that nevertheless keeps turning up in the illustrations. This led to a lot of questions].
EMILIA: What about Nina?
GRACE: I want to call it –
EMILIA: Write down that we called it Nina!
GRACE: I want to call it Mina.
EMILIA: That’s not a name.
ME: I think it is.
[There is an off-topic discussion about this for a couple minutes. I attempt to take notes on the Nina/Mina debate. Emilia sees me writing furiously].
EMILIA: I want to write a question.
ME: How about this. Why don’t you tell me what question I should ask you.
EMILIA: How deep was it?
ME: How deep was the book?
EMILIA: How deep was the snow?
[After this colloquy, Emilia asks about the two dots I keep putting next to the first letters of their names. This leads us to a hopeless tangent as I attempt to explain a colon. I give up, and promise to revisit the subject later, perhaps as she's about to go off for college].
ME: What was your favorite part of the book?
EMILIA: I liked when the cousins came over. And can you write who my favorite character was?
ME: Who was that?
EMILIA: Mary.
ME: Why Mary?
EMILIA: She’s the oldest, like me.
GRACE: My favorite is Laura.
ME: Why is she your favorite?
GRACE: She’s the youngest, like me!
ME: Isn’t Carrie the youngest? [I suggest this gently].
GRACE: Yeah. Phoebe [the one year-old] likes Carrie. In the morning, I’m going to ask Phoebe what her favorite character was.
[Unfortunately, I had to get to work early the next morning. I was not around to determine whether Grace ever asked Phoebe about a character she’s never heard of in a book she’s never seen. Her answer, of course, would have been ‘Momma’, ‘Dada’, ‘baba’, or ‘uh-oh’].
EMILIA: Where was Ma when she had Carrie?
ME: Probably in the cabin. They didn't have hospitals where they lived.
EMILIA: No. I mean was she in a chair or in bed. I think she was in bed.
ME: Probably.
[I am tempted to probe her mind in order to determine the genesis of the question. Seeing no good outcome, however, I resist the urge].
ME: Grace, what was your favorite part?
GRACE: I like the part when the cousins were going home.
ME: Why?
GRACE: I don’t know.
EMILIA: Actually I think that was a sad part. That’s why I said my favorite part was when they came over.
GRACE [undeterred]: I like when they ate breakfast.
ME: What did you like about the breakfast scene?
GRACE: I don’t know.
EMILIA: I think she means the pancakes.
GRACE: Pancakes!
EMILIA: Can I write periods for you?
ME: Maybe later.
[After mostly striking out with generalized questions, I decide to focus their attention a bit].
ME: Did you like the pictures?
EMILIA: We loved them.
GRACE: We liked them and they’re good pictures.
ME: What was your favorite picture in the book?
EMILIA: The snow and the woods and the cousins playing outside.
GRACE: The cousins playing in the snow.
ME: Is there a lesson?
EMILIA: To be grateful for what you got.
ME: For what you have.
EMILIA: For what you have.
GRACE: I don’t know.
[Last year, I explained the star-rating system to Emilia and Grace. I decided to test their recall, and was pleasantly surprised].
ME: How many stars would you give this?
EMILIA: Five. Actually ten.
ME: Five is the most you can give.
GRACE: Three!
EMILIA: It’s not the number it’s how much you liked it. One means you little-liked it; two means you kinda did and kinda not; three means a little bit; four means you liked it; five means you liked it a lot.
GRACE: I liked it five.
ME [to Emilia]: You did a good job remembering the star system.
EMILIA: I didn't remember it. I saw it on YouTube.
ME: I thought you weren’t supposed to be watching YouTube.
EMILIA: [Laughs uncomfortably]
ME: How would you explain this in one word?
EMILIA: “A lot”
GRACE: Let’s do five.
ME: Okay, what five words would you use?
GRACE: I don’t know.
ME: I want you to describe this book in one word. Like fun, or silly, or funny, or sad. Okay? What word would that be?
EMILIA: Fun.
GRACE: Yeah, fun.
ME: If you had to give a description of what this book is about, what would that be?
EMILIA: Coming together and having fun on Christmas.
ME: That’s good.
GRACE: I like that too. I like that thing that Millie said.
[At this point, I end the interview. It's late and it's difficult to write with Emilia grabbing the pen].
ME: Let’s go to bed.
GRACE: I can’t sleep.
ME: You’re not in bed yet.
GRACE: Can I sleep here?
EMILIA: Yeah!
ME: No.
Christmas in the Big Woods is a charming little book that nicely captures the Little House spirit in bite-size fashion. It is a simple story centered on fundamental values, which has always been the main draw of the series. At this time of year, it makes for a decent and helpful teaching tool.
It’s easy for kids to lose perspective during the Christmas season. Heck, it’s easy for adults. I lost perspective years ago! Emilia and Grace are no exception. They are inundated with commercials; their friends from school keep regaling them with stories of Elf on the Shelf; and their lists for Santa keeps growing and growing. When things reach a fever pitch, I will remind them that Laura was perfectly content with a rag doll named Charlotte.
That lesson, of course, will last thirty seconds, if I’m having a lucky day. More importantly, I hope this book plants the seeds of a lifelong love of Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Jack the Bulldog.
Christmas in the Big Woods is part of the family My First Little House Books, directed at the age 4-8 crowd. It is culled from the Christmas story in Little House in the Big Woods and adorned with warm illustrations patterned off the classic artwork done by Garth Williams. The night it arrived at our doorstep, it garnered immediate interest from my two older children: Emilia (Millie) who is almost six; and Gracie (Grapey) who is three. I didn't plan on reading it to them immediately, since it was already pretty late. But when Gracie asked me to read “The Christmas Woods Book,” I could not resist.
As most of you know, I’m not a prolific reviewer of children’s books. I have, in fact, only ever done this once before. That was last year, when I attempted to enlist the support of Emilia and Grace in reviewing The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends, which they received as a gift. The results were mixed. Nevertheless, I am back at it, because as the old saying goes: Even when you have utterly failed, you should try again.
So, once again, I conducted a joint interview for this book review. They did not receive any compensation for their participation, save getting to stay up roughly 45 minutes later than usual. Without further ado, I present for your consideration, Emilia & Grace Review Christmas in the Big Woods.
Meet your reviewers: Grace (L) is three; Emilia (R) is nearing six. Phoebe, aged one, was not present, but we might have woken her up
(Reviewers Note: This interview with my children has been edited for clarity. Heavily edited. Painstakingly edited. You might even say that “clarity” is an artificial construct that I conjured from the chaos of this exercise).
[Emilia and Grace have just gotten bunk beds, so the inaugural reading of Christmas in the Big Woods takes place in my bed. We get through one page before Grace gets up to leave].
ME: Where are you going?
GRACE: I need to get my blankie.
ME: You can get under the covers.
GRACE: I want my blankie.
[Grace returns with her blanket, along with a stuffed Tala from The Lion King].
ME: Are you ready?
GRACE: I need to get cozy.
[Grace situates herself on the bed, and then spends a minute propping up Tala on a pillow. I faintly recall the reason I don’t do more joint book reviews. I continue reading. About halfway through the book, the girls start arguing about which characters they resemble].
EMILIA: Laura has bangs like me.
GRACE: Millie, I can’t really see your bangs right now.
EMILIA: Grace! Don't talk to me.
GRACE: Millie! You don't talk to me!
ME: Both of you stop.
EMILIA: Is this part of the interview?
ME: No.
[Around this point, Grace gets up again and leaves].
ME: What are you doing?
GRACE: I want to get a blanket for my stuffed animal because she’s cold. I’m going to name her a different name. I’m going to call her Laura.
EMILIA: Her name is Tala.
GRACE: Her name is Laura. No! It’s Belle.
ME: Do we want to stop for the night?
GRACE: Her name is Belle.
ME: Fine.
[Somehow, by the grace of God, we manage to get through this 32 page book. I pull out my legal pad and pen].
ME: I was thinking that we should do an interview about this book, like we did with the kraken book. Does that sound okay.
EMILIA: No. I mean yes.
GRACE: Yes, I do too.
ME: Okay. Did you like it?
EMILIA: We like the shark smiling. [This refers to The Kraken’s Rules for Making Friends]
ME: No, we’re going to talk about this book. Good memory though.
[At this point, Emilia tries to take my legal pad].
EMILIA: Can I try to read it?
ME: When I’m done.
EMILIA: Can I spell their names?
ME: You can spell one of their names.
EMILIA: [Spells out J-A-C-K. It seems to take ten minutes, but probably only took three].
ME: All right. Now, did you guys like this Laura book?
EMILIA: Yes.
GRACE: Yes, but I want to name the cat. [In the book, there is a nameless and unmentioned cat that nevertheless keeps turning up in the illustrations. This led to a lot of questions].
EMILIA: What about Nina?
GRACE: I want to call it –
EMILIA: Write down that we called it Nina!
GRACE: I want to call it Mina.
EMILIA: That’s not a name.
ME: I think it is.
[There is an off-topic discussion about this for a couple minutes. I attempt to take notes on the Nina/Mina debate. Emilia sees me writing furiously].
EMILIA: I want to write a question.
ME: How about this. Why don’t you tell me what question I should ask you.
EMILIA: How deep was it?
ME: How deep was the book?
EMILIA: How deep was the snow?
[After this colloquy, Emilia asks about the two dots I keep putting next to the first letters of their names. This leads us to a hopeless tangent as I attempt to explain a colon. I give up, and promise to revisit the subject later, perhaps as she's about to go off for college].
ME: What was your favorite part of the book?
EMILIA: I liked when the cousins came over. And can you write who my favorite character was?
ME: Who was that?
EMILIA: Mary.
ME: Why Mary?
EMILIA: She’s the oldest, like me.
GRACE: My favorite is Laura.
ME: Why is she your favorite?
GRACE: She’s the youngest, like me!
ME: Isn’t Carrie the youngest? [I suggest this gently].
GRACE: Yeah. Phoebe [the one year-old] likes Carrie. In the morning, I’m going to ask Phoebe what her favorite character was.
[Unfortunately, I had to get to work early the next morning. I was not around to determine whether Grace ever asked Phoebe about a character she’s never heard of in a book she’s never seen. Her answer, of course, would have been ‘Momma’, ‘Dada’, ‘baba’, or ‘uh-oh’].
EMILIA: Where was Ma when she had Carrie?
ME: Probably in the cabin. They didn't have hospitals where they lived.
EMILIA: No. I mean was she in a chair or in bed. I think she was in bed.
ME: Probably.
[I am tempted to probe her mind in order to determine the genesis of the question. Seeing no good outcome, however, I resist the urge].
ME: Grace, what was your favorite part?
GRACE: I like the part when the cousins were going home.
ME: Why?
GRACE: I don’t know.
EMILIA: Actually I think that was a sad part. That’s why I said my favorite part was when they came over.
GRACE [undeterred]: I like when they ate breakfast.
ME: What did you like about the breakfast scene?
GRACE: I don’t know.
EMILIA: I think she means the pancakes.
GRACE: Pancakes!
EMILIA: Can I write periods for you?
ME: Maybe later.
[After mostly striking out with generalized questions, I decide to focus their attention a bit].
ME: Did you like the pictures?
EMILIA: We loved them.
GRACE: We liked them and they’re good pictures.
ME: What was your favorite picture in the book?
EMILIA: The snow and the woods and the cousins playing outside.
GRACE: The cousins playing in the snow.
ME: Is there a lesson?
EMILIA: To be grateful for what you got.
ME: For what you have.
EMILIA: For what you have.
GRACE: I don’t know.
[Last year, I explained the star-rating system to Emilia and Grace. I decided to test their recall, and was pleasantly surprised].
ME: How many stars would you give this?
EMILIA: Five. Actually ten.
ME: Five is the most you can give.
GRACE: Three!
EMILIA: It’s not the number it’s how much you liked it. One means you little-liked it; two means you kinda did and kinda not; three means a little bit; four means you liked it; five means you liked it a lot.
GRACE: I liked it five.
ME [to Emilia]: You did a good job remembering the star system.
EMILIA: I didn't remember it. I saw it on YouTube.
ME: I thought you weren’t supposed to be watching YouTube.
EMILIA: [Laughs uncomfortably]
ME: How would you explain this in one word?
EMILIA: “A lot”
GRACE: Let’s do five.
ME: Okay, what five words would you use?
GRACE: I don’t know.
ME: I want you to describe this book in one word. Like fun, or silly, or funny, or sad. Okay? What word would that be?
EMILIA: Fun.
GRACE: Yeah, fun.
ME: If you had to give a description of what this book is about, what would that be?
EMILIA: Coming together and having fun on Christmas.
ME: That’s good.
GRACE: I like that too. I like that thing that Millie said.
[At this point, I end the interview. It's late and it's difficult to write with Emilia grabbing the pen].
ME: Let’s go to bed.
GRACE: I can’t sleep.
ME: You’re not in bed yet.
GRACE: Can I sleep here?
EMILIA: Yeah!
ME: No.
Christmas in the Big Woods is a charming little book that nicely captures the Little House spirit in bite-size fashion. It is a simple story centered on fundamental values, which has always been the main draw of the series. At this time of year, it makes for a decent and helpful teaching tool.
It’s easy for kids to lose perspective during the Christmas season. Heck, it’s easy for adults. I lost perspective years ago! Emilia and Grace are no exception. They are inundated with commercials; their friends from school keep regaling them with stories of Elf on the Shelf; and their lists for Santa keeps growing and growing. When things reach a fever pitch, I will remind them that Laura was perfectly content with a rag doll named Charlotte.
That lesson, of course, will last thirty seconds, if I’m having a lucky day. More importantly, I hope this book plants the seeds of a lifelong love of Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Jack the Bulldog.
November 12, 2025
"Christmas was coming and the little house was covered with snow. When Pa came in from shoveling...his mustache was covered with melting snowflakes."Laura and her family lived in a little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and she cannot wait for Christmas.
Her Pa is busy shoveling, her Ma is busy baking, and Laura and Mary are playing outside making snow pictures and sneaking a bit of molasses candy. And then something really exciting happened!
Her aunts and cousins had come to celebrate!
Laura and Mary heard sleigh bells ringing, and then a big bobsled came out of the woods."
Now there were plenty of people to talk, laugh, and play with. At the end of a long day full of joy, the children hung up their stockings by the fireplace and hoped that Santa would find their little cabin.
Spoiler: He did - and it was magical!
Ohmygoodness. I have been on a Laura Ingalls Wilder kick and absolutely love these picture books!
They are so well done. I really like how closely they follow the original text while still being their own, complete stories.
The illustrations are wonderful and are done in the style of Garth Williams (the illustrator who made all of the iconic covers and drawings for the main series).
I love the sense of wonder, family, and love conveyed in just a few short words in this picture book.
If you are an Ingalls fan, like myself, then adding the picture books to your collection is an absolute must!
August 7, 2008
I'm a bit biased towards the original so my rating is tempered somewhat by my loyalty to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nonetheless, I do believe, had this series been my first introduction to the Little House books I would have enjoyed and appreciated their value. The colorful pictures and small amount of wording make this a good alternative for young readers not yet at a level to read the original series on their own.
February 19, 2019
A sweet little book. Their stockings were skimpy compared to how our Christmas's are but they were extremely happy.
Glad I found it to add to my Christmas collection.
I missed seeing thed Little House Christmas on TV so decided to dig it out and re-read.
Sure does make you appreciate the smiles on faces with such simple gifts!
Glad I found it to add to my Christmas collection.
I missed seeing thed Little House Christmas on TV so decided to dig it out and re-read.
Sure does make you appreciate the smiles on faces with such simple gifts!
November 23, 2016
This is not one of the better books in the series. I've been trying to pinpoint the reasons why we haven't cared much for this one. Here are three possibilities.
1) The cover shows a wreath on the front door, but aside from that, there aren't any Christmas decorations. There isn't even a Christmas tree, which does trigger questions from young readers that I can't answer. The Wilders live in the woods, so finding a tree wouldn't be the problem. Maybe time and/or space in the house is the issue.
2) All of the kids get red mittens and a stick of peppermint candy, which makes them very happy. However, Laura also gets a doll. Of course, the question becomes, why did she get a toy and none of the other kids did?
3) One page lists the names of the relatives who come on Christmas. The names aren't needed, so that page could have been put to better use.
We'll probably have to read the original books to find out how they compare with the excerpts in these little books.
2017: Having just re-read LH in the BW, I now know why only Laura got a doll ... the other girls already had dolls. (Even so, she's the only child who got a 'big' present.)
1) The cover shows a wreath on the front door, but aside from that, there aren't any Christmas decorations. There isn't even a Christmas tree, which does trigger questions from young readers that I can't answer. The Wilders live in the woods, so finding a tree wouldn't be the problem. Maybe time and/or space in the house is the issue.
2) All of the kids get red mittens and a stick of peppermint candy, which makes them very happy. However, Laura also gets a doll. Of course, the question becomes, why did she get a toy and none of the other kids did?
3) One page lists the names of the relatives who come on Christmas. The names aren't needed, so that page could have been put to better use.
We'll probably have to read the original books to find out how they compare with the excerpts in these little books.
2017: Having just re-read LH in the BW, I now know why only Laura got a doll ... the other girls already had dolls. (Even so, she's the only child who got a 'big' present.)
December 10, 2017
I really enjoyed this nostalgic, condensed version of the Christmas events from Little House in the Big Woods. This book was chosen for Day 9 of our "25 Days of Christmas Books" blog series: https://www.theproblemsite.com/book-s...
December 29, 2014
This is a storybook version of the Christmas chapter in Little House in the Big Woods. It's a wonderful way to get students excited about reading Laura's books. We use it each year for the time travel day of Christmas Around the World. We travel back in time and have a pioneer Christmas. It's always so much fun.
December 16, 2018
It's summer! Close enough, it's warm enough to go outside with a short sleeve shirt and shorts on, that's summer. That means it's time for me to jump into the world of Christmas books. Hot weather is when I need them the most, and this one is a favorite. Of course if you put the word Christmas in the title of a book, I probably will love it.
January 6, 2023
Can't beat these sweet illustrations that help me to understand what the book is referring to.
August 4, 2023
Listened to a reading of this. So sweet! My favorite books growing up!
December 25, 2019
After my adult read through of the books, this picture book is a nice change - it’s basically all of the best bits of the series without the less fun portions. So a gentle introduction to the series.
May 22, 2016
Mommy loves this one because it has molasses candy in the snow AND Charlotte the rag doll!
December 12, 2017
What a sweet, simple Christmas.
12/11/17 Read with Naomi.
2/26/19 Read with Julia
5/23/19 Read with Julia
6/27/20 Read with Julia
12/11/17 Read with Naomi.
2/26/19 Read with Julia
5/23/19 Read with Julia
6/27/20 Read with Julia
January 5, 2024
Had to read this book for a course about writing for children. It would make a nice book to read to children for Christmas. There was some awkward written sentences which is why I gave it four stars. I liked the history of the story and think I will check out more Laura Ingalls books.
December 5, 2024
A cute and fast retelling of a scene from Little House in the Big Woods. The boys seemed disinterested, but my 5 year old daughter was absolutely captivated and wants to read more of the picture book version of the series.
December 18, 2021
The illustrations are lovely and are definitely inspired by the originals by Garth Williams. The writing, though, is overly simplified and doesn’t seem like a complete story.
June 18, 2025
A sweet introduction to these classic stories!
December 9, 2025
auntie em was excited to read this to me! she told me she used to read this one when she was a kid
December 9, 2025
It’s the perfect time of year to read about Laura :-)
September 4, 2012
When I was younger my mom used to read me The Little House on the Prairie books. Christmas in the Big Woods was one of my favorites. It is about Laura and her family as they celebrate Christmas. Laura and her sister helped their mother make cookies and molasses and made snow angles outside with their cousins. Living in Arizona, I loved seeing the snow covered woods. Laura's Christmas was so humble and different from my own experience. It intrigued me that she, her sister, and her cousins could be so happy with only receiving a stick of peppermint candy and mittens. Laura, however, also received a doll. I remember feeling happy that she got something special, but I always wondered why her sister Mary didn't also get a doll, for my brother and I have always gotten an equal amount of presents.
December 14, 2012
CHRISTMAS IN THE BIG WOODS, written for young children, shares homespun holiday images with the reader. Young Laura has an idyllic family life complete with a bulldog named Jack. Christmas is nearing and rampant with preparations. Pies, cookies, and snow candy are made.
Christmas Eve brings Aunt Eliza, Uncle Peter and their children. The cousins make snow images, hang their stockings and receive simple gifts such as peppermint candy and red homemade mittens. They eat man-shaped pancakes for breakfast.
This book is beautifully illustrated by Renee Graef.
Christmas Eve brings Aunt Eliza, Uncle Peter and their children. The cousins make snow images, hang their stockings and receive simple gifts such as peppermint candy and red homemade mittens. They eat man-shaped pancakes for breakfast.
This book is beautifully illustrated by Renee Graef.
January 5, 2009
This is a very nice book for young children. I like it because it shows Christmas in much simpler times... just a very few small gifts in their stockings which they treasured... and they just enjoyed the time they spent together.
April 14, 2018
Prairie life is something that Laura Ingalls Wilder is known for writing about. In today's society, prairie life is not something that people are too familiar with. The author/illustrator of this book takes the basic outline of prairie life and puts it into an easy-to-read book that opens the door for exploration for children. This story talks about how a prairie family celebrates Christmas in their log house during an extremely cold winter's day. The way this family celebrates Christmas may be different than how families celebrate Christmas today. In this book, Laura Ingalls Wilder does a wonderful job at portraying what prairie life may have been like, without overwhelming the young reader.
Although this story is based off of prairie life, it seems to differ from the chapter books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The family seems happier and more at ease than they do in other books. I do not think this book gives a realistic portrayal of prairie life compared to Wilder's higher-level books. If the author would have put some sort of conflict into the story, I think it would have made the book more interesting and realistic.
Although this story is based off of prairie life, it seems to differ from the chapter books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The family seems happier and more at ease than they do in other books. I do not think this book gives a realistic portrayal of prairie life compared to Wilder's higher-level books. If the author would have put some sort of conflict into the story, I think it would have made the book more interesting and realistic.
December 3, 2018
Book Level: 3.8
Christmas in the Big Woods is about the Christmas celebrations with a young girl and her family. The book is set in pioneer times, making it historical fiction.
This story would be a good mentor text for exemplifying presentation to students. The pictures on each page take up the span of both pages, which really lets the reader see the big picture. The illustrations are simple, yet engaging, because they are the central focus of the page. This would be good for students to see an option for how they could make their own stories and one way they could format their pictures/illustrations.
This book would be a good addition to a unit on pioneers and the lifestyles they lead living in their log cabins and simplicity.
Christmas in the Big Woods is about the Christmas celebrations with a young girl and her family. The book is set in pioneer times, making it historical fiction.
This story would be a good mentor text for exemplifying presentation to students. The pictures on each page take up the span of both pages, which really lets the reader see the big picture. The illustrations are simple, yet engaging, because they are the central focus of the page. This would be good for students to see an option for how they could make their own stories and one way they could format their pictures/illustrations.
This book would be a good addition to a unit on pioneers and the lifestyles they lead living in their log cabins and simplicity.
November 1, 2020
Christmas is approaching and Laura and her family are preparing delicious food for the holiday. On Christmas Eve, their aunt, uncle, and cousins join them at their house. The kids play outside in the snow and go to bed early in preparation for Santa's visit. The following morning, they wake up to full stockings. They enjoy Christmas day together inside by the warm fire. What a fun family tradition, indeed!
This book (and other books in the series) might best be used at the early elementary level. It would be great to use during the holidays. Students can learn about different families' traditions and share their own family traditions. Additionally, it would be a great mentor text for teaching plot.
This book (and other books in the series) might best be used at the early elementary level. It would be great to use during the holidays. Students can learn about different families' traditions and share their own family traditions. Additionally, it would be a great mentor text for teaching plot.
November 25, 2023
As I mentioned before, I attempted to re-read The Little House books to my grandchildren, but found the descriptions of hunting, preparing meat, etc. too disturbing for them as well as myself! I wish I could have skimmed through those parts, but I am not one to censor books so I just decided to abandon them for now and perhaps try again when the children are older. However, this little book allowed us to enjoy the simple sweetness of Laura & her family, learn a little about their holiday traditions without the raw, upsetting parts, ha-ha! The illustrations were lovely, the length of the story was just right for preschoolers or antsy elementary schoolers who just need a quiet, short bedtime story.
December 24, 2018
Love the simplicity of Christmas traditions in this story. So far, I have yet to be disappointed with any of the books in the My First Little House Book series. What a great way to bring frontier life to small children. Big, clear text; easy to read and understand. Beautiful illustrations. A wonderful addition to our annual Christmas reads.
February 14, 2019
Beautiful pictures. Nice story.
What I found most interesting is what people did back then for fun. It seems like it would still be fun today!
What I found most odd is they only showed what Laura got as a present. Or, I should say, as an extra present. Was she the only one who did? That seems.... mean.
What I found most interesting is what people did back then for fun. It seems like it would still be fun today!
What I found most odd is they only showed what Laura got as a present. Or, I should say, as an extra present. Was she the only one who did? That seems.... mean.
December 25, 2020
A brief glimpse at a pioneer Christmas, with possible activity tie-ins: making molasses candy, making pancake men, knitting red mittens (or giving some to a charity mitten tree), going on a horse-pulled sleigh ride, etc. Charming illustrations. Not really a compelling story; more a day in the life snapshot.
September 11, 2023
Welcome to Christmas in the Big Woods! The family is getting together to have lots of fun. Cousins, aunts and uncles are coming from out of town, and gifts are going to be given! Find out why Laura is the happiest one of all in this lovely book! We absolutely love these books! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for more fun book recommendations!
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