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Summary

The Christmas Wish is the result of a collaboration between a husband-and-wife team, award-winning photographer Per Breiehagen and his wife, first-time author Lori Evert. Their young daughter, Anja, portrays the main character, a little Nordic girl named Anja, in this delightful picture book. Anja's wish is to be one of Santa's elves. The beautiful photography, Anja's kindness and her magical trip to the North Pole make this a Christmas picture book that will enchant youngsters 3 to 6 years old.

The Story and Illustrations

Since the book is illustrated with photographs and features a real little girl, it's easy for a child to think the story might be true - magical but true - and that adds to its appeal.

Many double page spreads and snowy scenes showing a wide expanse of snow-covered ground add to the realism. Although no time period is given, Anja is dressed in traditional Norwegian clothing such as might have been found in 18th century Norway. With her beribboned blonde braids, her bright red pointed knitted cap, her ankle-length red plaid jumper, patterned blue sweater, reindeer shoes, and her rosy cheeks, Anja is an appealing little girl. She is also a sweet and kind girl.

Anja wants very much to become one of Santa's Elves, and one day, she decides to go and find Santa Claus. However, before leaving, kind Anja helps an elderly neighbor get ready for Christmas and delivers Christmas gifts to her family and friends. She also leaves a note about what she plans to do.

Having studied the schoolroom map and learned to locate the North Star, Anja is ready to put on her skis and begin her journey. She is still somewhat fearful about getting lost until a bright red cardinal swoops down and offers to help her find Santa Claus.

Slowly skiing up the mountain and quickly gliding down the other side, Anja is met by a giant horse who takes over from the bird as her guide. After spending the night in the barn, Anja rides on horseback all day and into the evening when the Northern Lights provide a spectacular light show.

In the morning, the horse leaves her with an odd-looking creature, a musk ox, that, having been requested to do so by the cardinal, escorts her under the glacier all the way to the tundra. There Anja is met by a giant polar bear, ready to take her over the tundra, but warning her that they need to hurry since Christmas is coming so soon. Since it's faster than skiing, Anja accepts a ride across the snowy tundra on the back of the polar bear.

After more than a day of travel, Anja is awakened from a rest by the sound of sleigh bells. One of Santa's reindeer lands close by and urges Anja to hurry. The reindeer is tired and Anja kindly offers him an apple, which he happily accepts. Since the reindeer is too tired to fly and Anja can't ski fast enough to keep up with him, the reindeer tows her for miles and miles. Anja is nearing exhaustion when suddenly the reindeer begins to fly, still towing Anja behind him.

Anja is thrilled when they land next to Santa and his toy-filled sleigh. Santa tells Anja she is "already my most important helper" because of her year-round kindness to others. He then invites Anja to help him drive his sleigh and off they go. When they land at Anja's home early on Christmas day, Santa gives Anja a magical bell that she can use to summon help if she ever needs it. After saying goodbye to Santa, Anya finds herself in bed, wondering if it was all a dream but not sure because she has the bell. The last line of the book asks the reader, "What do you think?" That question, and the answer, will be fun to discuss with your children and to find out their response. Since a bell figures prominently in The Polar Express, you might want to read and discuss the two books together.

My Recommendation

Because of the size of the book and the scale of the photo illustrations, The Christmas Wish works just as well as a read aloud for a group of young children as it does for one-to-one sharing. Part of the appeal of the story is Anja's kind nature, but for most children, it will be the illustrations, the photographs of Anja on the polar bear or with one of the other animals and her ride on Santa's sleigh that make the story magical.

My only disappointment was that Santa's costume is modern rather than the earlier time period represented by Anja's costume; while it bothered me, it won't be an issue with young children. I recommend the book for preschoolers to first graders. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2013. ISBN: 9780449816813)  

The Illustrator, Per Breiehagen

Photographer Per Breiehagen grew up in a small town in southern Norway. His photography assignments have taken him to Greenland, the North Pole and Antarctica as well as many other places around the world. His work has appeared in National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine, among many others. His large client list also includes the French Bureau of Tourism and Disney. Per Breiehagen is the recipient of several international awards for his photography.

The Author, Lori Evert

Lori Evert is a prop, set and wardrobe stylist and that certainly contributes to the illustrations. Her clients have included National Geographic for Kids, Better Homes and Gardens and Rolling Stone, among numerous others. When their daughter was three, Per Breiehagen took a photo of her with a reindeer near their home in Minnesota, and it became the inspiration for Evert's story. The Chirstmas Wish is the first book in a planned trio of books about Anya's adventures in the snowy North. (Sources: Per Breiehagen's website, Random House press release, 8/13, Lori Evert's website)

Recommended Children's Books About Winter and Snow

Children tend to enjoy stories about winter and snow and there are a lot of good ones available, from the classic The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats to Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, with illustrations by John Schoenherr. Short story collections are fun to share, and I particularly like The Winter Book and Fireside Stories: Tales for a Winter's Eve. I also recommend Children's Poetry Books About Winter, particularly Winter Lights: A Season in Poems & Quilts, which focuses on a variety of winter holidays.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.