Such beautiful illustrations! They're sweet and soothing, but still engaging and expressive. Kids will be mesmerized to look at them while hearing the short stories.

This would make an excellent gift book. It's perfect for curling up and enjoying with a favorite caregiver while learning some of the traditional religious stories surrounding Christmas.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

This is a great collection of Christmas stories. My children and I loved reading this and are excited to add it to our holiday traditions. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A fine collection of short stories concerning wintertime. Starting with a suicidal snowflake, we hit a decent mix of the very well known and the much less common. A little drummer boy forms a nativity scene, a cobbler finds Jesus, a Russian woman with a growing retinue of people seeks God's protection in time of war, a generous girl gets due reward, and so on. The donkey who visits the Nativity has a short script, whereas The Snow Queen has a lot more text, but nothing is allowed to cover up too much of the artwork, which generally (ie when not trying to look cock-eyed Russian) is fine. Indeed the book seems to be built just as much around her efforts as it does the script, for in Europe it seems the woman of Kent (or Kentish woman) is generally known by her first name alone, such is the renown of this person of whom I'd never heard. I can see why her well-coloured, classically-styled illustrations are well liked, and I can see this becoming a bit of a family heirloom, to be perused every relevant season. It definitely is a book for Christmas, as opposed to just winter, with its bias towards the religious – but this example may well be a book that is for life, not just for Christmas.

This book includes 8 stories that are traditional for Christmas time. It might be a fun way for families to tell these tales to the younger children with illustrations to go with the stories. The art is vibrant and colorful.

A treasury of retellings of many well known Christmas books.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. The stories are well known and good stories were picked for this treasury, however, the illustrations would have been a chance to really modernize these classic tales. Almost every single character is white. An entire treasury of classic stories that is completely white washed. There are a few characters who look like their skin is slightly darker… but NO representation of anything other than white characters.

This doesn’t feel or look like a new or modernized retelling of any of these classics. It looks and feels as dated as any versions of these books that came before it.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-book of Stories for Christmas by Bernadette Watts in exchange for my review.

I went in to this book in a good mood. Christmas stories are usually filled with wonder and are heartwarming. Some of the stories in Stories for Christmas were good and the illustrations were really nice but overall I found this book depressing. Too much negative talk in regards to death, sleeping with a knife to protect yourself, etc. I would not read this to any child and do not recommend it.

I received an advance copy of, Stories for Christmas, by Bernadette Watts. This is a great compilation of 8 stories for Christmas. A great book for families to read together.

What a lovely little Christmas book! The stories will warm your heart and the illustrations are darling. I always love The Little Drummer Boy and The Snow Queen, and the illustrations were such a lovely addition. Sure to get everyone in the Christmas spirit!

Stories for Christmas is a book you need in your house for the holidays. 8 classic Christmas stories including Little Drummer boy, The Shoe Maker, and the Snow queen. The illustrations and vibrant colors will fill your children’s hearts and eyes with Christmas spirit.