I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison and illustrated by Frank Morrison has a lot to like. And a lot of things that you might not be as crazy about.
The illustrations of Morrison are lovely. They are quirky and filled with details. And the colors! Bold and sassy and quirky and as spunky as the little narrator herself. They introduce you to a city setting for those who might not be familiar with it and show the setting a lot of kids do know, but probably do not always see in Christmas books. Usually, Country Christmas is the theme of the day. And the fact the girl is black is just nicely there. It is as natural as breathing. Therefore, it is not preachy or an “issue book” but just is.
However, the wording can be a smidgen awkward. I am not sure if the very young will be captivated, but the adults will enjoy the simplicity of it as we learn the true meaning of Christmas. The story is told from the point of view of a child in a child’s tone and wording. Maybe she is a little more aware than many children her age, but kids are smart.
The child might miss a couple of the subtler points to the illustrations (a family is begging on the corner) but at the end they will see how one person got a lot of help from her friends to help them out.
I do wonder why they made Santa a little grumpy looking at first. But, if you had a lot of children sitting on your lap asking for things, you would be tired and a little grumpy, too. But you will not be grumpy after reading this book!
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