December Stories and Songs, Part Seven

The book for today combines two themes that were much on our minds (Sisterfilms' and mine) that December -- a New England Christmas and making, rather than buying, presents. Lucy's Christmas, by Donald Hall with illustrations by Michael McCurdy, is based on Hall's mother's childhood in rural Vermont in the early 20th century. The farm and small-town setting, in which the whole town gets together for the Christmas program and tree, is something few people today experience. Even the store-bought presents coming from the Sears, Roebuck catalog would be a novelty to today's children. (Although I've seen many a Glenwood wood-burning kitchen range in my time!) Donald Hall, who was U.S. Poet Laureate in 2006, is a New England treasure.

To go with this book, the song I chose was O Little Town of Bethlehem, to the preferred American tune by Lewis Redner, sung by Janis Hardy and the Plymouth Music Series Ensemble Singers on the CD Now It Is Christmas Again, compiled from Prairie Home Companion broadcasts. It's one of the songs mentioned in the book and, as an American carol, seemed most appropriate.