Product Description

Rob wants to get his father something special for Christmas this year -- something that shows how much he really loves him. But it's Christmas Eve, and he doesn't have much money to spend. What could he possibly get? Suddenly, Rob thinks of the best gift of all...

Author of nearly a hundred books for children and adults, and winner of both the Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, Pearl S. Buck has captured the spirit of Christmas in this elegant, heartwarming story about a boy's gift of love. Originally published in 1955, this classic story is now being issued, for the first time ever, as a picture book with glorious full-color art by acclaimed artist Mark Buehner.

A welcome addition to everyone's holiday collection, this timeless treasure will bring the true meaning of Christmas to the entire family for generations to come.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1859 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Released on: 2002-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780688162672
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Published in 1955 and appearing for the first time as a picture book, this modest holiday tale from the author of The Good Earth might well have been called The Good Son. On Christmas Eve, a man recalls the holiday many years ago when he gave his father, a struggling farmer, a most-appreciated gift: the boy rose extra early to do his father's biggest chore, the milking. Buck's understated yet moving piece, paired with a sentimental note from the illustrator, will resonate with readers. Buehner's (Snowmen at Night) inky, starlit winter skies and rustic barn revealed by lantern light transport readers to a hushed and humble setting. All ages.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-Originally published in 1955, this story has been illustrated and brought to life for a new generation. A man remembers a great discovery he made when he was 15 and living on his father's farm. A few days before Christmas he overhears his dad saying how much he hates having to wake his son at dawn for morning chores. As a special gift for his father, the boy gets up at a quarter to three on Christmas morning and does the milking by himself. Buehner illustrates these scenes, many taking place at night and illuminated by lanterns or by moonlight, with a sturdy, folksy, old-fashioned solidity. The hard life on a farm, the struggle to keep the family and animals warm and fed, is reflected on the parents' faces. Moving and tender, this is a fine choice for reading aloud or family sharing.-S. P.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud. This inspiring story by a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author is reissued for the first time since 1955 with the oil paintings by the artist of Fanny's Dream (1996). Buck invests a simple story with poetic dignity and teaches a bone-deep lesson about love. On Christmas, a middle-aged man remembers a holiday morning when he was 15 and his farm family was just scraping by. Having overheard a conversation in which his father proclaimed his love, the teenager decides to do something special for Dad. The boy gets up very early on Christmas morning and does all the milking before his father arises, discovering that that love makes labor light. Buehner's paintings enhance the story, capturing the deep blue-white of a snowy farmland, punctuated by golden light spilling from windows, a pool of light from the boy's lantern as he goes to the barn, and the simplicity of a turn-of-the-century farmhouse interior. A beautiful Christmas message, powerfully delivered. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

The gift of love is the best gift of all.
This book truly exemplifies the true meaning of christmas, to love one another. When Rob, the 15 year old boy of a modest farm family, overhears his parents talking, he comes to realize the love his father has for him and the love he also holds for his father. Not having the money to purchase a gift that he feels expresses this love, he chooses to surprise his father by doing the morning milking and chores before the usual 4AM. He sneaks out to the barn and his heart bursts with love as he waits for his father to discover the surprise. The illustrations are beautiful, dark and dusky like the time of day before surnrise, and the clouds in the sky take the shape of the Holy Family on the first Christmas. A valuable lesson for all. The gift of love is the most precious gift of all.

A classis Christmas story
I collect Christmas stories and purchase only one or two each year. My criteria are excellent storyline as well as beautiful illustrations. This book hits the mark on both counts. The storyline is both "real" and touching. It emphesizes the important things about Christmas including being together as a family and serving others. Truely, the best gifts, as this story illustrates, do not come from the store.

Brought Tears To My Eyes
This story is beautifully written and illustrated. It will be a Christmas story that we will read year after year in our family. It is a poignant tale of a boy and his father and the realization by the boy that he is truly loved and wants to return that love. As an adult, it makes me look back on my childhood and love my parents even more by seeing the small things they did for me. It brought tears to my eyes.

We own many of Mark Buehner's books and that is why I purchased this Pearl S. Buck book. I was so pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the story was as well as the illustrations. Be sure to look for the figures hidden in the illustrations. Mark Buehner is famous for doing this in his illustrations. Mary, Joseph, the Christ Child, angels, and animals are hidden in the clouds over the barn on the cover. You will find characters throughout the book in the clouds, in the grain of the woodwork, and in the fabric of quilts and furniture. My children love looking for these hidden objects.