Christmas Cricket ANNOTATION
On Christmas Eve, a little cricket finds its way into a house where its singing is thought to be the voice of an angel.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In a California garden on a rainy night, Cricket feels small and worthless. He hops up some steps and finds himself in a place filled with light and warmth and a tall, sparkling tree. He begins to sing but is scared into silence by two voices, one big and one small. It is then that he makes a marvelous discovery. Eve Bunting's text is filled with her customary tenderness and charm, and Timothy Bush has captured its mood in his luminous illustrations. Together they create a memorable holiday book about a cricket who discovers that though he may be small, he is not insignificant.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
A cricket who feels "small and worthless in the bigness of night" finds his way into a cheery house and onto a Christmas tree, where his song is mistaken by a child for the voice of an angel. Bunting (see also The Bones of Fred McFee, under "Halloween," and One Candle, under "Hanukkah"), relates this affectionate tale in taut prose, and Bush's cricket's-eye-view watercolors seem almost to glow. In the end, as Cricket gazes at his reflection in the face of a shiny angel ornament, he ponders an adult's comment that angels sing "in the voices of crickets," then realizes that "he was small, then. But not worthless." The cricket's progression from the darkness of night to the luminosity of the revelatory scene underscores his growing sense of wonder. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
"Bunting shows her consummate talent. . . {a} simple but profound tale. Bush’s illustrations convey the transformative potential of the season."
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-Feeling "small and worthless in the bigness of night," Cricket sneaks into a home and onto a Christmas tree, where he begins a song. A child thinks he hears the tree's angel and his dad explains that "angels sing in the songs of birds, and frogs and people and crickets." Hearing this, Cricket realizes he's small, "but not worthless," and he rubs his wings together for joy. Masterfully imbuing a brief moment in a tiny insect's life with significance that resonates for readers of any age, Bunting presents a simple yet touching story for holiday sharing. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the insect's perspective with drama and humor.-S. P. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Bunting (One Candle, below, etc.) shows her consummate talent as a storyteller in this simple but profound tale of a cricket who comes in from the cold to find warmth, light, companionship, and ultimately joy in his own little world. The story, told from the cricket�s point of view, follows the insect on his long journey into the house of a little girl and her father, who are celebrating Christmas Eve in a cheerful living room full of greenery and golden light. When the cricket hops up into a decorated Christmas tree next to an angel ornament, the little girl mistakes the cricket�s song for the angel�s voice. Her father explains: "Did you know that angels sing in the voices of birds, and frogs and people and crickets?" The cricket feels appreciated and sings his own joyful song as the little girl and her father sing "Joy to the World." Bush�s watercolor illustrations bring the little cricket to life with his own personality, and the views of the candlelit Christmas scene effectively convey the warmth and transformative potential of the season. The story can serve as simply a satisfying tale of an endearing insect who finds his way or, on a deeper level, as a parable of the faith journey. (Picture book. 3-6)
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