Holiday Heartwarmers S is for Star

S IS FOR STAR, by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds, illustrated by Pam Carroll, Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, Mich., 2001, $18.95.

Are your children coveting just about every toy hyped on the Saturday morning cartoons and the holiday specials? Do their lists for Santa look like they’d challenge the budgets of Donald Trump or Bill Gates? Faced with the annual onslaught of rampant commercialism and keeping-up-with-the-Joneses, are you despairing in your heart of hearts of being able to teach them the true spiritual meaning of Christmas?

Cynthia Furlong Reynolds, who summers in a camp Down East and plans to become a year-round Maine resident when her sons graduate from high school, has come to the rescue. In the style of her inimitable “L is for Lobster: A Maine Alphabet,” which has contributed so much to our understanding of our own unique and beautiful state, she has now created “S is for Star: A Christmas Alphabet.” She was challenged to fit in as many legends, traditions, scriptures, and rituals as possible. The result is a rich reference book families will treasure for years.

Don’t let the alphabet format fool you into thinking that the appeal of this book is limited to the primary and preschool crowd. It is true that the succinct, thoughtful verses and accompanying paintings provide a rich introduction to uppercase and lowercase letters and the fundamentals of Christmas. But sidebars provide a wealth of information that will surprise older siblings and even parents.

Two graceful, heavenly visitors in flowing robes dance across a velvety, star-sprinkled sky accompanied by gentle doves. Their sweet faces, framed by golden, curly locks of hair, are pensive. The text reads: “A is for Angels and Archangels, sparkling in robes of white, announcing the arrival of a newborn king, singing Alleluia! on a starry night.”

The sidebar opens with Luke 2:10: “The angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” It goes on to explain the roles of angels as protective guardians and messengers from God in the Bible and the meaning of the season of Advent.

In a scene that would warm the heart of Norman Rockwell, a tabby cat watches as two eager pajama- and slipper-clad youngsters hang their stockings. The cold winter night glimpsed through a window is in clear contrast to the warmth and coziness of the room. Numerous details attest to the joyous carrying out of beloved traditions: the nativity scene set on the mantelpiece, the Advent calendar with open flaps revealing the date, a copy of “A Christmas Carol” ready for a late-night read, a gaily trimmed, star- topped tree, and a platter of cookies and a glass of milk left out for Santa Claus.

The text, delightfully blending beloved secular rituals with their sacred origins, reads: “C is for Children hanging stockings by the Chimney with glee, and for Candles and Cookie Crumbs around the Christmas tree. C is for Christ Child, born on Christmas Day, and for Cards we send to loved ones living far away.”

Ranging from the whimsical (Santa’s reindeer approaching a snowy roof) to the profound (a radiant angel appearing to two awestruck shepherds), the paintings alone are worth the price of the book. What makes them most memorable is illustrator Pam Carroll’s many uses of light. Blazing candles help emphasize the bounty of a feast. Glowing embers in fireplaces lend an atmosphere of coziness to hearthside scenes. And beams of sun create a translucent halo around Jesus’ head as he lies in his mother’s loving arms.

This book would make a great gift for a favorite pastor or Sunday school teacher.