A Star for Christmas.

Anne Hutchings is a public-school teacher and librarian in Ajax,
Ontario.

Admirers of Trisha Romance’s art will undoubtedly be drawn to this, her first book for children. A Star For Christmas tells of a kindly carpenter who, with only Little Star, an orphaned reindeer for company, lives in a small house at the edge of a meadow. As Christmas approaches the carpenter hastens to complete his very special gift for the townspeople. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the children follow the carpenter and Little Star to a clearing in the forest. Awestruck, they gaze at the carved wooden crèche lovingly created for them.

The book is beautifully bound, with a blue ribbon marker and pages edged with gold, and though the story itself is slight, the artist’s luminous watercolours, filled with warmth and cozy details, make it a worthwhile purchase for both personal and public library collections. Recommended.