Thursday, December 17, 2015

Christmas in America (Ellis the Elephant)


 

DESCRIPTION: 

Ellis the Elephant explores Christmas throughout American history!

In Christmas in America, the fifth in Callista Gingrich’s New York Times bestselling children’s series, Ellis discovers the meaning of Christmas and learns how this cherished holiday has been celebrated in America for more than four hundred years!

Join Ellis as he travels back in time and experiences Christmas in America with:

Colonists in Williamsburg, Virginia
George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon
Andrew Jackson at the White House
Civil War soldiers on the battlefield
Calvin Coolidge as he lights the first national Christmas tree
Apollo 8 astronauts as they orbit the moon

With vibrant illustrations and charming rhymes, Christmas in America explores the tales and traditions that have made Christmas a beloved part of the American experience.

MY THOUGHTS: 

I will admit that I love kids' Christmas books; however, there are only so many ways to tell a story about Christmas before they all sort of start to sound alike. That was why I was interested in reading Christmas in America by Callista Gingrich. A new take on the Christmas season and what it has meant in the history of our wonderful country? Sign me up!

I wasn't sure what my kids would think of Christmas in America by Callista Gingrich. When I received it in the mail, I read through it and there was ALOT of time periods in American History covered-- starting with the first settlers heading to the New World, to the Patriots during the Revolutionary War, to the time of the Pioneers, to the first national Christmas tree, to the mission of Apollo 8. I didn't know if the kids would like the story or not or if they would even be able to understand the passage of time in the book. Well, I worried for naught...my kids LOVED the book. Rebecca (age 9) was very interested in the different historical events that Ellis the Elephant was able to travel back to and share with the readers. Jacob said his favorite part was the rhyming words. Benjamin loved trying to find the eagle on each page. I liked that the kids got a mini history lesson while enjoying a fun story about Christmas. I also liked the illustrations in the story. Ellis the Elephant is so cute and perfect for kids to relate to. This is a book that will be perfect to read every year as the kids get older and they learn more and more about the history of the USA and will gain more appreciation for the history of Christmas in the USA.

Overall, I would highly recommend this to be added to your Christmas library. Perfect change of pace for kids!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of the book through the Hachette Book Group and Gingrich Productions in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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