What do you think?
Rate this book
Christmas In The Big House, Christmas In The Quarters
A lavishly illustrated historical book describes Christmas on a pre-Civil War plantation from the viewpoints of the big house family and the slave quarters.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
6 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Patricia C. McKissack
189 books210 followersPatricia C. McKissack was the Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of The Dark-Thirty and Porch Lies an ALA Notable Book. She collaborated with Jerry Pinkney on Goin' Someplace Special (Coretta Scott King Award winner) and Mirandy and Brother Wind (Coretta Scott King Award winner and Caldecott Honor Book).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 15, 2015
Hiding in the guise of a holiday picture book, this Coretta Scott King award winner is really about a country on the brink of war. I was concerned at first that it would be providing an overly saccharine take on slave life in order to draw parallels between Christmas celebrations of the whites and blacks at the time, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I should have know to trust Patricia and Fredrick McKissack who are excellent African American authors. Right from the outset, the Author’s note sets the historical tone for the book.
As the book continues, it covers traditions typical of plantation owners and slaves from the time leading up to Christmas through the New Year. It contains many specific references to songs and practices that would have been common at the time. But as I said before it is not simply about Christmas and the winter holidays. It is about the chatter in the drawing rooms about the unrest in the country. It is about the hopes of slaves that they will find a way to be free.
Since the book is told manly from the slave’s perspective, it keeps from idealizing the “Big House” Christmas too much and also uses this to call attention to the faults of the “Massa”. Despite the fact that a relatively sympathetic slave owner is depicted here, it is clear that you really can’t have a good owner.
Because of it’s historical information, this book is actually quite complex. I would recommend it for third graders with considerable adult assistance (such as in a teaching setting) or older. There are frequent references to important historical figures and events which will largely be unknown to students who have not had formal teachings regarding the Civil War and the years leading to the secession. Additionally, quotes from period songs are used and dialect is common throughout. This will provide an additional challenge for young readers.
All in all, it’s an interesting book, but there are mismatches between the content (better understood by much older students) and the format (resembles a picture book) and the tone (likely appropriate for middle grades readers).
As the book continues, it covers traditions typical of plantation owners and slaves from the time leading up to Christmas through the New Year. It contains many specific references to songs and practices that would have been common at the time. But as I said before it is not simply about Christmas and the winter holidays. It is about the chatter in the drawing rooms about the unrest in the country. It is about the hopes of slaves that they will find a way to be free.
Since the book is told manly from the slave’s perspective, it keeps from idealizing the “Big House” Christmas too much and also uses this to call attention to the faults of the “Massa”. Despite the fact that a relatively sympathetic slave owner is depicted here, it is clear that you really can’t have a good owner.
Because of it’s historical information, this book is actually quite complex. I would recommend it for third graders with considerable adult assistance (such as in a teaching setting) or older. There are frequent references to important historical figures and events which will largely be unknown to students who have not had formal teachings regarding the Civil War and the years leading to the secession. Additionally, quotes from period songs are used and dialect is common throughout. This will provide an additional challenge for young readers.
All in all, it’s an interesting book, but there are mismatches between the content (better understood by much older students) and the format (resembles a picture book) and the tone (likely appropriate for middle grades readers).
November 15, 2022
A very insightful look into how the Christmas holiday would have been celebrated, by both free and slave, in Virginia in 1859.
Ages: 9+
Cleanliness: Mentions alcohol and tobacco. "Thank goodness" is exclaimed.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Ages: 9+
Cleanliness: Mentions alcohol and tobacco. "Thank goodness" is exclaimed.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
January 6, 2026
This is my second time reading through this book at Christmastime with my kids. It is an excellent “living history” book. It brings the plantation South to life with poignant descriptions and excellent illustrations. This was the sort of book that I think was more common in the 90s when I was a kid—historical accuracy that moves me to tears with nearly every chapter. It juxtaposes the lives of some very wealthy plantation owners—and the ways they celebrate Christmas—with the lives of their slaves in the plantation quarters. From meals and recipes, to styles of dance, to clothes and gifts, the contrasts are drawn vividly for our minds. Up at the plantation, fireside conversations turn to suppressed slave revolts, while down in the Quarters whispers of flights to freedom and heroes of the abolition movement carry a spark of hope during the Holiday season. Sure, it’s an older book. But if you can hunt down a copy, it’s well worth adding to your Christmas book collection and returning to it each year with your kids.
Note: it is what I would call a picture-chapter book. It’s much too long to read in one sitting, but the chapters are short and full of lively illustrations. We read it in 4 (long-ish) sittings throughout the holiday season.
Note: it is what I would call a picture-chapter book. It’s much too long to read in one sitting, but the chapters are short and full of lively illustrations. We read it in 4 (long-ish) sittings throughout the holiday season.
December 8, 2018
Well-researched look into a specific moment in time when a particular era in history is about to come to an end. Does a nice job of letting us look at slave traditions without glamorizing slavery. Very important holiday book for kids.
April 13, 2021
This well-researched, beautifully illustrated book for children explores Christmas traditions in Virginia on the eve of the Civil War, contrasting the experiences of slave-owning families and the people they owned. The book is about fictional characters, but it is based in fact, with detailed notes in the back to explain the sources of different details pulled into the text and illustrations. There's not much of a narrative, and many children would find this boring, but it is excellent, well-presented history.
I wasn't planning to write a detailed review, but when I looked at other reviews here on Goodreads, I saw that one reader gave the book one star based on an unfair, surface-level reading that didn't engage with the story or intent. This reviewer complained that the authors portrayed the slaves as receiving Christmas gifts from the master and his family, and didn't believe that this would happen, even if the gifts were hand-me-downs. This reviewer believed that the authors portrayed the slaves as having no community amongst themselves, and as if they were happy in slavery, and would just be happier if they were free.
This surface-level reading is not remotely faithful to the text or the intended message. Firstly, some slave-owning families did give gifts at Christmastime, and this is based in historical fact. Secondly, the book specifically mentions that the slaves were not required to be present at the master's house for Christmas, but were invited. The authors mention that some people chose not to go, but did so knowing that the master might remember and use this against them in the future. Nothing about the story idealizes the master's family or implies that they were generous. The book simply portrays cultural norms as they existed.
This book does not romanticize slavery. The only way to perceive that is to read this from a shallow perspective that expects the authors to provide moral commentary and condemnation along the way. The authors show instead of telling, and they emphasize the community that slaves experienced among themselves, the nature of their personal celebrations, and the grief that they experienced through familial separation and all-too-brief visits that were sometimes allowed at Christmastime. The authors do not insert their own voices and opinions, but present facts and evidence to reveal the truth about slavery.
I wasn't planning to write a detailed review, but when I looked at other reviews here on Goodreads, I saw that one reader gave the book one star based on an unfair, surface-level reading that didn't engage with the story or intent. This reviewer complained that the authors portrayed the slaves as receiving Christmas gifts from the master and his family, and didn't believe that this would happen, even if the gifts were hand-me-downs. This reviewer believed that the authors portrayed the slaves as having no community amongst themselves, and as if they were happy in slavery, and would just be happier if they were free.
This surface-level reading is not remotely faithful to the text or the intended message. Firstly, some slave-owning families did give gifts at Christmastime, and this is based in historical fact. Secondly, the book specifically mentions that the slaves were not required to be present at the master's house for Christmas, but were invited. The authors mention that some people chose not to go, but did so knowing that the master might remember and use this against them in the future. Nothing about the story idealizes the master's family or implies that they were generous. The book simply portrays cultural norms as they existed.
This book does not romanticize slavery. The only way to perceive that is to read this from a shallow perspective that expects the authors to provide moral commentary and condemnation along the way. The authors show instead of telling, and they emphasize the community that slaves experienced among themselves, the nature of their personal celebrations, and the grief that they experienced through familial separation and all-too-brief visits that were sometimes allowed at Christmastime. The authors do not insert their own voices and opinions, but present facts and evidence to reveal the truth about slavery.
February 10, 2017
This was an excellently written and remarkably well-researched book. The juxtaposition of the white plantation owners' lives with those of the enslaved African Americans was clearly drawn, but literally and figuratively. The attitudes (and sometimes the faked attitudes) or the people in the story were also very revealing. The owners do seem fairly idiotic to some extent for not figuring out how upset the workers are, and it might have been my imagination, but while the African American portraits in this were remarkably clear, nearly photographic, the white people seemed somewhat vague or less defined in the pictures. The inclusion of recipes, folk beliefs, dances, music (would have loved some musical notation), and poetry was also very helpful in creating the setting. Of course, this is essentially a very sad book in places, ending with families being broken apart and callous racism on the part of the owners, so reading it as a Christmas book is going to be more of a depressing than uplifting experience. While my library actually classified it as a holiday book, I don't think I would designate it specifically as such in the way holiday book is usually perceived. This is definitely more of a historical picturebook. The end notes were very helpful and helped immensely in understanding the text, and bibliography is well done too. My only qualm on this is the length. It's an unusually long picturebook, broken into chapters, so for some of the exercises I would use it for in class, I think I would need to consider it a short chapter book or novella rather than classifying it with traditional picturebooks. On the whole, though, I would easily use this as a text again.
December 27, 2018
This was on my to-read list and my library had it, so I decided to read it this year. This looked really good, because I love history, and I thought a comparison between the two very different lives of the slave owners and the slaves' Christmas traditions would be really interesting to read about.
I wasn't expecting this to be as wordy as it was. It's classified as a children's picture book, but it's very wordy. Certainly not something you'd sit down and read to your kid for a bedtime story. It's really more of a research book and would be good if someone was writing a paper about historical Christmas, slavery, Southern plantations, etc.
I like that it says what happens in the big house and then what happens in the quarters.
'The Big Times don't come but once a year. Nobody wants to look bad or feel bad then. Plenty of time to do that all year.' Haha! That struck me as funny.
I liked the Irish and Scottish superstition of putting wild sprigs of evergreen on each door to ward off evil spirits.
There was mention of Frederick Douglass' newspaper North Star being smuggled into the Quarters, and his words of freedom and abolitionist movement. That was interesting to me because in elementary or middle school I researched Frederick Douglass and drew a picture of him, which I think was pretty good, if you ask me.
I was surprised to learn there was a reward on Harriet Tubman's head.
The slaves wondered if there really were white people willing to fight so slavery might end. And if they were people like William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Charles Sumner. That was great insight to the time period then.
I didn't know it was spelled Gloria in Excelsis Deo.
There's a tradition and ancient superstition of each person casting sprigs of holly into the fire to rid the house and their lives of evil spirits.
It was an interesting custom for the game of "who can say the greeting first and therefore claim a gift," because the slaves shouted "Christmas Gif'" the master has to welcome their first visitors. The master received the male slaves in his study, presenting them with clothing for the year and eggnog. He also let them borrow his fiddle.
The wife received the female salves and children in the parlor. She gave them gifts like handkerchiefs, earrings, scarves, and candy for the children.
It was very interesting to hear a man complain that Dickens' writing could stir up trouble, because they contained seeds of rebellion among the lower classes.
It was nice how the slaves attached a story or advice to their kids presents, so if they're separated by being sold, the children would have a memory.
The closest connection between the two houses was the little girl hearing the slave's carol, thinking it was a happy and contented slave, wishing the joy would never end. "It can't. Pa won't let it."
The slaves hear the carol and smile knowingly, because it's their dad's signal that he'd made connection with a conductor of the Underground Railroad. The boy says slavery can't last forever, "it can't. Pa won't let it."
Between Christmas and New Years were eggnogging visits, festivals, horseracing, and balls.
The largest party was a masquerade ball on New Year's Eve. I love the mental image of women being escorted from the riverboat and down a path lined with torches to guide them.
Children peeked at guests from the staircase, guessing who's who behind the masks. Or which lady would get lured to a doorway where mistletoe hung, and who was bold enough to steal a kiss.
Behind their masks, young women flirted, especially with handsome bachelors. The young men played guessing games and teased each other about what messages the girls were sending with flower language. One girl was standing under a picture of peach blossoms and they wondered if she was saying 'my heart is your captive.'
Dancing brought men and women together. There were promenades, Virginia reels, and everyone's favorite, the waltz.
In the Quarters, the slaves danced the cakewalk, where whoever wins gets a cake. The dance started by slaves poking fun at the white folk doing the minuet. They added a lil of their dancing from the time before,& made a new dance.
It was rare to have eggs, butter, sugar, flour and milk at the same time, so a cake was a great prize.
They discussed John Brown's hanging. It was sad to hear them say "maybe if we sing loud enough they won't hear us crying."
At midnight when the guests remove their masks, there are few surprises. They ring in the new year with guns and cracker blasts.
Masters and slaves pay close attention to traditions and superstitions on New Year's Day. They believe a bad move can seal your fate for the next year,
Both eat blackeyed peas and ham hocks and sweet potatoes.
The daughter asks for her own slave, and her dad says she has to wait til she's 16, in the year 1865. There's foreshadowing because we have an idea slaves will be free by then.
And in the Quarters, they talk that one day soon they'll enjoy the Big Times in freedom.
In just a few years the emancipation proclamation was signed. In 1859 no one at the plantation knew a war would be fought in their fields and woods, houses burned or used as military headquarters or hospitals.
The civil war and the Plantation South ended in 1865.
I didn't really like the illustrations. They were old-fashioned looking, a little heavy and depressing at times, definitely not cheery. Some things that were chosen to be highlighted was questionable, like the mundane tasks that I didn't really need to see. Like washing floors, sewing, the dad measuring the girl's height. It seems like better scenes, ones that highlighted the Christmas traditions and decorating should have been chosen rather than these mundane tasks that can easily picture in your head and therefore don't need to see.
The drawings from the quarters were more depressing-looking, but I think that may have been done to portray their quality of life, and the difference between them and the Big House, which were slightly more cheerful looking.
As I was reading, I thought there were more drawings of the slaves' lives than the Big House. I wanted to also see the children and parents' decorating the Big House. I think it should have equally captured both sides and had depictions from each. I wanted a zoomed out picture of both the Big House and quarters and what they looked like for Christmas, but that didn't happen.
One shows a brother and his sisters lying on their pallet. The text says they smile knowingly when they hear their dad's song, yet in the drawing the boy isn't smiling, and the girls are asleep.
This was an interesting glimpse into historical Plantation times and their Christmas traditions. It shows the end to the Old South and the end of slavery. I enjoyed learning about it. Anyone interested in plantation life and Christmas traditions would enjoy reading this.
I wasn't expecting this to be as wordy as it was. It's classified as a children's picture book, but it's very wordy. Certainly not something you'd sit down and read to your kid for a bedtime story. It's really more of a research book and would be good if someone was writing a paper about historical Christmas, slavery, Southern plantations, etc.
I like that it says what happens in the big house and then what happens in the quarters.
'The Big Times don't come but once a year. Nobody wants to look bad or feel bad then. Plenty of time to do that all year.' Haha! That struck me as funny.
I liked the Irish and Scottish superstition of putting wild sprigs of evergreen on each door to ward off evil spirits.
There was mention of Frederick Douglass' newspaper North Star being smuggled into the Quarters, and his words of freedom and abolitionist movement. That was interesting to me because in elementary or middle school I researched Frederick Douglass and drew a picture of him, which I think was pretty good, if you ask me.
I was surprised to learn there was a reward on Harriet Tubman's head.
The slaves wondered if there really were white people willing to fight so slavery might end. And if they were people like William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Charles Sumner. That was great insight to the time period then.
I didn't know it was spelled Gloria in Excelsis Deo.
There's a tradition and ancient superstition of each person casting sprigs of holly into the fire to rid the house and their lives of evil spirits.
It was an interesting custom for the game of "who can say the greeting first and therefore claim a gift," because the slaves shouted "Christmas Gif'" the master has to welcome their first visitors. The master received the male slaves in his study, presenting them with clothing for the year and eggnog. He also let them borrow his fiddle.
The wife received the female salves and children in the parlor. She gave them gifts like handkerchiefs, earrings, scarves, and candy for the children.
It was very interesting to hear a man complain that Dickens' writing could stir up trouble, because they contained seeds of rebellion among the lower classes.
It was nice how the slaves attached a story or advice to their kids presents, so if they're separated by being sold, the children would have a memory.
The closest connection between the two houses was the little girl hearing the slave's carol, thinking it was a happy and contented slave, wishing the joy would never end. "It can't. Pa won't let it."
The slaves hear the carol and smile knowingly, because it's their dad's signal that he'd made connection with a conductor of the Underground Railroad. The boy says slavery can't last forever, "it can't. Pa won't let it."
Between Christmas and New Years were eggnogging visits, festivals, horseracing, and balls.
The largest party was a masquerade ball on New Year's Eve. I love the mental image of women being escorted from the riverboat and down a path lined with torches to guide them.
Children peeked at guests from the staircase, guessing who's who behind the masks. Or which lady would get lured to a doorway where mistletoe hung, and who was bold enough to steal a kiss.
Behind their masks, young women flirted, especially with handsome bachelors. The young men played guessing games and teased each other about what messages the girls were sending with flower language. One girl was standing under a picture of peach blossoms and they wondered if she was saying 'my heart is your captive.'
Dancing brought men and women together. There were promenades, Virginia reels, and everyone's favorite, the waltz.
In the Quarters, the slaves danced the cakewalk, where whoever wins gets a cake. The dance started by slaves poking fun at the white folk doing the minuet. They added a lil of their dancing from the time before,& made a new dance.
It was rare to have eggs, butter, sugar, flour and milk at the same time, so a cake was a great prize.
They discussed John Brown's hanging. It was sad to hear them say "maybe if we sing loud enough they won't hear us crying."
At midnight when the guests remove their masks, there are few surprises. They ring in the new year with guns and cracker blasts.
Masters and slaves pay close attention to traditions and superstitions on New Year's Day. They believe a bad move can seal your fate for the next year,
Both eat blackeyed peas and ham hocks and sweet potatoes.
The daughter asks for her own slave, and her dad says she has to wait til she's 16, in the year 1865. There's foreshadowing because we have an idea slaves will be free by then.
And in the Quarters, they talk that one day soon they'll enjoy the Big Times in freedom.
In just a few years the emancipation proclamation was signed. In 1859 no one at the plantation knew a war would be fought in their fields and woods, houses burned or used as military headquarters or hospitals.
The civil war and the Plantation South ended in 1865.
I didn't really like the illustrations. They were old-fashioned looking, a little heavy and depressing at times, definitely not cheery. Some things that were chosen to be highlighted was questionable, like the mundane tasks that I didn't really need to see. Like washing floors, sewing, the dad measuring the girl's height. It seems like better scenes, ones that highlighted the Christmas traditions and decorating should have been chosen rather than these mundane tasks that can easily picture in your head and therefore don't need to see.
The drawings from the quarters were more depressing-looking, but I think that may have been done to portray their quality of life, and the difference between them and the Big House, which were slightly more cheerful looking.
As I was reading, I thought there were more drawings of the slaves' lives than the Big House. I wanted to also see the children and parents' decorating the Big House. I think it should have equally captured both sides and had depictions from each. I wanted a zoomed out picture of both the Big House and quarters and what they looked like for Christmas, but that didn't happen.
One shows a brother and his sisters lying on their pallet. The text says they smile knowingly when they hear their dad's song, yet in the drawing the boy isn't smiling, and the girls are asleep.
This was an interesting glimpse into historical Plantation times and their Christmas traditions. It shows the end to the Old South and the end of slavery. I enjoyed learning about it. Anyone interested in plantation life and Christmas traditions would enjoy reading this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2010
I think this book would have been better if there had been more illustrations and if the format had been less dense. The separation between the Big House and the Quarters just wasn't done that smoothly in my opinion. Plus, this is a very dated edition.
I think the ending of this book is better than the beginning. At the end, you really realize how much better Christmas time (of The Big Times) is better for slaves than after. In the beginning of the book, it seems more of a difference between the rich and the poor, but the end really shows a harsher side of slavery. It isn't nearly as brutal as it probably should be. I mean this is a children's book so of course they will gloss it over, but I really don't think the slavery part of this book is captured nearly as well in the beginning as in the end.
Lots of long passages and not nearly as many illustrations as I'd like. Probably too long for a read aloud.
I think the ending of this book is better than the beginning. At the end, you really realize how much better Christmas time (of The Big Times) is better for slaves than after. In the beginning of the book, it seems more of a difference between the rich and the poor, but the end really shows a harsher side of slavery. It isn't nearly as brutal as it probably should be. I mean this is a children's book so of course they will gloss it over, but I really don't think the slavery part of this book is captured nearly as well in the beginning as in the end.
Lots of long passages and not nearly as many illustrations as I'd like. Probably too long for a read aloud.
November 27, 2012
This book is about Christmas in 1859. It shows the traditions that the masters of the slaves have, as well as the traditions of the slaves. This book is set right before the slaves are set free and shows the views of slavery on both sides.
I wasn't that interested in this book. I am not much of a history fan, so this book was boring at times to me.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about slavery in the US before the Civil War. This book would be an excellent way to show them the different points of view from the slave owners and the slaves. I could read segments of this book to my students in order to get them interested in informational books.
I wasn't that interested in this book. I am not much of a history fan, so this book was boring at times to me.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about slavery in the US before the Civil War. This book would be an excellent way to show them the different points of view from the slave owners and the slaves. I could read segments of this book to my students in order to get them interested in informational books.
December 29, 2007
This is a children's book and was mildly interesting. The illustrations were oddly rendered - almost photographic but everyone seemed lopsided - and the text was quirky too - sort of told a story but then would interject fact - like the 'Big House' family burned their Christmas tree on New Year's Day but some neighboring families kept theirs up until Epiphany. The idea of contrasting the Christmas experience of the family in the Big House with the Sales in the Quarters is a good one, though.
July 24, 2010
The story of Christmas on a Virginia plantation in 1859. It held my interest very well, and I learned a lot, too.
August 26, 2017
Read this as a child, just as good the second time around. Though, as an adult, you pick up on a lot more nuance...
December 6, 2019
This is such a unique book. I've never read anything like this and I've read a lot of Christmas books.
I was astounded by all the details I was reading. They researched so many aspects of the topic and had it down to almost every move the plantation and slave families made during the day. It felt like we were right there going through it with them. The illustrations brought to life the customs they explained, showing us what the celebrations would have looked liked so we could picture them even more. I learned so many things about plantation life and slavery and what the master family did and what the slaves did on Christmas, details I've never heard anywhere.
It was so cool to be reading about that last Christmas before the Civil War in 1859. It was amazing that so much news was going around at that time, slaves hoping that slavery would end soon and they wouldn't always have to deal with it. And in the Big House the family was talking about Virginia, the first state in the colony, seceding from the Union. It was right on the precipice of the beginnings of the war and great change was coming.
This is such an important read and this should be a required read so kids can learn exactly what happened at Christmastime during slavery. It mostly excludes the details of day-day-day slavery aside from just mentioning the work they performed, because it isn't about slavery in general but Christmas in particular, so there are no harsh details about whipping and killing and punishment.
I love that they broke it down by the date, like 2 months before Christmas, 2 weeks before, Christmas Eve morning, Christmas Eve night, Christmas Day, and then New Years. And you got to find out all the things each home did during the day. It's such a comprehensive work with facts, conversations, songs and poems the people sang, and there is so much to learn.
This was a long read, way more than your average picture book because it's more an information book. It takes quite a while to read all of the words because there's so much text so it's more of an investment of time than others. The illustrations were kind of all the same color, kind of dark, and there wasn't much color to them. The text said there wasn't much color put up, and red was considered vulgar, but I still wished for some variety. I wished the illustrations had shown more, wider scenes with more of the backgrounds. They were usually so zoomed in and sometimes showed things that were necessary and I wished the image had been of a bigger moment.
I was astounded by all the details I was reading. They researched so many aspects of the topic and had it down to almost every move the plantation and slave families made during the day. It felt like we were right there going through it with them. The illustrations brought to life the customs they explained, showing us what the celebrations would have looked liked so we could picture them even more. I learned so many things about plantation life and slavery and what the master family did and what the slaves did on Christmas, details I've never heard anywhere.
It was so cool to be reading about that last Christmas before the Civil War in 1859. It was amazing that so much news was going around at that time, slaves hoping that slavery would end soon and they wouldn't always have to deal with it. And in the Big House the family was talking about Virginia, the first state in the colony, seceding from the Union. It was right on the precipice of the beginnings of the war and great change was coming.
This is such an important read and this should be a required read so kids can learn exactly what happened at Christmastime during slavery. It mostly excludes the details of day-day-day slavery aside from just mentioning the work they performed, because it isn't about slavery in general but Christmas in particular, so there are no harsh details about whipping and killing and punishment.
I love that they broke it down by the date, like 2 months before Christmas, 2 weeks before, Christmas Eve morning, Christmas Eve night, Christmas Day, and then New Years. And you got to find out all the things each home did during the day. It's such a comprehensive work with facts, conversations, songs and poems the people sang, and there is so much to learn.
This was a long read, way more than your average picture book because it's more an information book. It takes quite a while to read all of the words because there's so much text so it's more of an investment of time than others. The illustrations were kind of all the same color, kind of dark, and there wasn't much color to them. The text said there wasn't much color put up, and red was considered vulgar, but I still wished for some variety. I wished the illustrations had shown more, wider scenes with more of the backgrounds. They were usually so zoomed in and sometimes showed things that were necessary and I wished the image had been of a bigger moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2021
This book is a compare and contrast about slaves’ view of Christmas on a plantation in the 1800’s versus the master of the plantation and his family’s view. The slaves’ Christmas usually entailed a gift and a short break from work. The master of the plantation and his family hosted parties for friends and family. During this event they would exchange gifts.
The authors used slang for words like going and gonna “goin” and “gon.” They also used pronouns like he, she, etc. They have songs, a poem, and a recipe for a sweet potato pie and a roast turkey. They also have more information on the history of slaves and notable people at the end of the book.
It was an interesting book, sad though because slaves got sold and torn from their families. I think it deserves 5 stars because it tells what it was like in the 1800’s for slaves and their masters and they gave a idea of the life during Christmas.
The authors used slang for words like going and gonna “goin” and “gon.” They also used pronouns like he, she, etc. They have songs, a poem, and a recipe for a sweet potato pie and a roast turkey. They also have more information on the history of slaves and notable people at the end of the book.
It was an interesting book, sad though because slaves got sold and torn from their families. I think it deserves 5 stars because it tells what it was like in the 1800’s for slaves and their masters and they gave a idea of the life during Christmas.
March 29, 2021
The cover of this book is deceptive (and unfortunate) because it seems to depict a group of white enslavers and enslaved black people happily gathered together around a Christmas tree. But the book itself, which is set on the eve of the Civil War and illustrates how Christmas was celebrated by both groups, is sympathetic to the enslaved people's point of view and their hopes and dreams of freedom. There is a lot of historical details woven throughout the book and the notes in the back expand upon them.
February 13, 2020
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters by Patricia C. McKissack,
Enjoying not only learning how the slaves got the masters house in order for Christmas but their own.
They were also sent to other estates to help out as well. Very informative and I can picture being there, so descriptive.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Enjoying not only learning how the slaves got the masters house in order for Christmas but their own.
They were also sent to other estates to help out as well. Very informative and I can picture being there, so descriptive.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
January 8, 2019
I selected this book to be discussed with our 9 year old granddaughter. It's set in the deep south and how the people in the "Big House" and the slaves celebrated Christmas. I think it is an educational book which covers a very unpleasant part of our history but it simply shows the differences of how Christmas was celebrated back then by the slaves and their owners.
November 29, 2019
Wow, what a moving book. A fictional document of the kind of traditions that were celebrated by slaves juxtaposed with the celebrations of the plantation owners. The joy and the disparity are so moving and heartbreaking. I hope more people discover this short read, it’s a little known classic.
February 21, 2023
Beautifully written and illustrated book that paints a picture of how a plantation family and the slaves on that plantation prepared and celebrated the Christmas season (beginning 2 months before Christmas and ending on New Year's Day). The notes at the end of the book were also very insightful.
November 3, 2021
This book seemed well-researched, and I liked the basic concept, but I got very bored when reading it.
January 3, 2022
Well written and beautiful illustrations. There is lots of educational information in here on pre Civil War Christmas traditions but it's all disguised in storybook form.
January 8, 2024
Informative. Better suited to history discussions than as a Christmas book. Best for age 10+.
December 26, 2020
3.5 stars
Enjoyed reading the daily comparison between the big house and slave quarters during the Christmas season.
Enjoyed reading the daily comparison between the big house and slave quarters during the Christmas season.
November 22, 2016
“Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters” will take you back in time with its rich historical details taking place in 1859. It’s Christmastime on a Virginia Plantation. The slaves are helping set up and clean the “Big House”- where their masters live- for the Christmas festivities. Their house is filled with warmth, colorful decorations, and good food. In the quarters- where the slaves live- there is talk of war and a feeling that times will be changing. The conditions are poor, dirty, and cold; but the slaves are filled with hope and sing songs about freedom.
The headings & subtitles help clarify the difference between “the big house” and “the quarters.”
Bold & italic fonts label the songs, riddles, and jokes used by the slaves. Text boxes are used for certain recipes made during Christmas time, and the notes after the story point out certain pages with keywords and saying meanings explained. This text enhanced my understanding of the content by adding elegance and beauty to a story about a region and its people on the eve of a war. When the war was over, the plantations were never the same. Only the memories of Christmases in the Big House and in the Quarters are remembered by Southerners as they moved throughout the United States.
I would recommend this book because of the amazing illustrations and the incredible story about what happens in preparation for and in celebration of Christmas in both the big house and the slave quarters. I enjoyed reading about the traditions of the slave and the master and how similar, yet extremely different they were.
The headings & subtitles help clarify the difference between “the big house” and “the quarters.”
Bold & italic fonts label the songs, riddles, and jokes used by the slaves. Text boxes are used for certain recipes made during Christmas time, and the notes after the story point out certain pages with keywords and saying meanings explained. This text enhanced my understanding of the content by adding elegance and beauty to a story about a region and its people on the eve of a war. When the war was over, the plantations were never the same. Only the memories of Christmases in the Big House and in the Quarters are remembered by Southerners as they moved throughout the United States.
I would recommend this book because of the amazing illustrations and the incredible story about what happens in preparation for and in celebration of Christmas in both the big house and the slave quarters. I enjoyed reading about the traditions of the slave and the master and how similar, yet extremely different they were.
December 19, 2013
“A Tidewater Upstairs, Downstairs”
In some 60 pages (followed by 4 pages of Notes) the authors present a faithfully detailed account of the contrasting ways that Christmas was celebrated in the Big House (white masters) and down in the Negro slave Quarters. Shocking extremes are revealed; the lavish hospitality of pampered, wealthy families versus the homespun generosity and simple frolics of the overburdened, underfed slaves. From mid December through First Day the Big Times are carefully documented and contrasted. Some songs, rhymes and recipes are included for historic flavor and authenticity.
Set on a Tidewater,VA, plantation which represents several around Jamestown this book also hints of the monumental changes in social structure and law of the impending future. With frequent references to John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859—the year of the story—there is a glimmer of hope to modern readers that slavery would not long be permitted to sully American dreams of democracy. Yet the slaves would soon learn that Freedom is a prize to be purchased with sorrow and blood. Expect no definitive plot or character development. Interesting color illustrations enhance the reader’s enjoyment and overall comprehension of this modest historical treatise.
(December 18, 2013. I welcome dialogue with teachers.
In some 60 pages (followed by 4 pages of Notes) the authors present a faithfully detailed account of the contrasting ways that Christmas was celebrated in the Big House (white masters) and down in the Negro slave Quarters. Shocking extremes are revealed; the lavish hospitality of pampered, wealthy families versus the homespun generosity and simple frolics of the overburdened, underfed slaves. From mid December through First Day the Big Times are carefully documented and contrasted. Some songs, rhymes and recipes are included for historic flavor and authenticity.
Set on a Tidewater,VA, plantation which represents several around Jamestown this book also hints of the monumental changes in social structure and law of the impending future. With frequent references to John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859—the year of the story—there is a glimmer of hope to modern readers that slavery would not long be permitted to sully American dreams of democracy. Yet the slaves would soon learn that Freedom is a prize to be purchased with sorrow and blood. Expect no definitive plot or character development. Interesting color illustrations enhance the reader’s enjoyment and overall comprehension of this modest historical treatise.
(December 18, 2013. I welcome dialogue with teachers.
March 22, 2012
This book tells a narrative story based on multiple actual accounts that demonstrates the differences in the Christmas experiences between slaves and their owners in 1859.
This book fascinating and very well-written. The book conveys accurate portrayals of the lives of slaves and plantation owners during this time. The authors conducted much research while working on this book. The book incorporates slave songs, and even Christmas recipes from both slave and white kitchens of the time. There is an appendix in the back of the book that goes into greater detail regarding many topics mentioned in the book. The book covers a difficult subject, but is a definite must read for everyone.
This book fascinating and very well-written. The book conveys accurate portrayals of the lives of slaves and plantation owners during this time. The authors conducted much research while working on this book. The book incorporates slave songs, and even Christmas recipes from both slave and white kitchens of the time. There is an appendix in the back of the book that goes into greater detail regarding many topics mentioned in the book. The book covers a difficult subject, but is a definite must read for everyone.
March 31, 2015
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack
Cara W., Spring 2015
This book shows life on a plantation in the south in 1853. The view points are from both parties, the slaves and the landowners. This is not a true story, but is a historical fiction of sorts as it takes the readers on a “tour” of what would be happening in each part of the plantation.
I found this book very visually exciting. The pictures are photographic and there are other elements that set the story very well. I found this book very interesting, eye opening, and wonderfully done.
This would be great at Christmas time or even when talking about slavery.
Cara W., Spring 2015
This book shows life on a plantation in the south in 1853. The view points are from both parties, the slaves and the landowners. This is not a true story, but is a historical fiction of sorts as it takes the readers on a “tour” of what would be happening in each part of the plantation.
I found this book very visually exciting. The pictures are photographic and there are other elements that set the story very well. I found this book very interesting, eye opening, and wonderfully done.
This would be great at Christmas time or even when talking about slavery.
September 30, 2012
This is what Everyone should read. It tells the two sides of the story. You get the glamor and grandeur of the big house. You also get to see the quarters and how they celebrated the same holiday.
The illustrations add that extra something to the story.
Add this to your reading list.
The illustrations add that extra something to the story.
Add this to your reading list.
Read
December 11, 2013This book would be good for middle elementary students (grades 3-4). It shows the different ways both slaves and slave owners celebrated Christmas during the Civil War. This would be great to go with a History lesson, and introduce some of the ideas of slavery and vocabulary.
April 15, 2008
A well written and child friendly account highlighting the differences between slaveholders and slaves in the 1850s.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews