I am a HUGE Christmas fan and although it is July, it is winter for me. Being from the Northern Hemisphere I always feel nostalgic for Christmas in the winter time. This book is not only beautiful and gives you all the lovely festive feelings but the poem is really wholesome and lovely. Really enjoyed this and it gave me that warm fuzzy feeling!

A picture story to follow the beautiful words of Henry Wadsworth Longellows Christmas poem. I enjoyed the simplistic, yet detailed images that added to the song. There was not a side story within the images but they brought to mind all the different ways we approach and think about Christmas. Perfect for little children and adults alike!

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is an illustrated version of the Christmas Carol based on the poem Christmas Bells, written in 1863 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It talks of hearing the bells ring on Christmas morning, but there is evil and hate in the world that is the opposite of love and peace on earth. This is definitely timely right now with major conflicts and wars in our world. It ends on a positive note with the acknowledgment that God is not dead, and we will have "Peace on Earth" someday. I know the blurb says the perfect gift for children, but I did not read this one to my grandchildren. I did enjoy the illustrations by Jana Stegall, which had an old fashion feel to them, but were also modern in the subject matter. Although the words convey a hopeful note of peace, I know that man's will is powerful and strong and that greed and power are not that easy to defeat. I will let my oldest grandson read it and talk to him about it as we get closer to Christmas. A hopeful message as we try to reconcile the message of Peace of Earth with the actual happenings in 2025. The end of the book has a brief biography of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, specifically surrounding the writing of this poem.

A cute picture book with the lyrics to the song plus a couple extra lines of verse printed on illustrated pages whose color hue and style reminded me of advertising from the 1950s (at or around the time Bing Crosby recorded one of the most famous versions of the song).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital preview copy of the book.

A classic poem full of thought, Christmas compassion and hope. This edition really stands out because of the illustrations - the more traditional festive colour palette and words combined with a more modern use of the page and detailing in the illustrations. I love it - I would frame them! The pops of pattern throughout really made me notice the illustrations, I think we’ll buy a physical copy to read together this Christmas!

Thank you to Familius and Netgalley for the digital arc
I chose this title because I'm a fan of picture books which illustrate songs and poems. Written during the American Civil War, Longfellow's theme driven “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” calls for peace and goodwill. It is still relevant in today's war torn world. My only concern is that the illustrations, lovely as they are, don't fully support the text
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Gorgeous illustration of a classic Christmas poem. I feel as though this would make a great addition to your Christmastime children's book collection!

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
An Illustrated Keepsake Book by Janna Steagall.

Sometimes it's really nice to read a winter book during a summer heat wave, you know ? Absorbe the colder temperatures, the snow covered towns, the christmas story, the twinkling fairy lights through the pages and get through the hot weather with a cooler mood read.
It was a really quick read, with cute illustrations. I love that type of illustrations and the work Janna Steagall did on this. It's warm, welcoming and cozy.
I loved the concept of illustrating a poem to make it into a cute book.

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This beautifully illustrated picture book brings a classic Christmas poem to life in the most magical way. 🎄✨

The artwork is warm, inviting, and captures the heart of the season perfectly—full of wonder, hope, and holiday magic. An absolute must-read for little ones at Christmas time. It’s one of those books you’ll want to pull out year after year. ❤️📖🎅

Gorgeous illustrations giving a hauntingly relevant 1860's poem.

BLUF: Though a historical poem, it's still so applicable today - Children will love the illustrations while parents will take the message to heart.

Overall: 5
Illustrations: 5

(Full review to come!)

Thank you, posthumously to Mr. Longfellow for his beautiful poem, and to Familius Books for the opportunity to review this lovely illustrated update!
All opinions are our own.

This picture book reproduces part of the classic Longfellow poem "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," and the illustrations show a charming small town in the snow. This book includes information about the poem's history at the end, but the illustrations are unrelated to the poem's original Civil War context, and have a contemporary setting.

The illustrations have seasonal charm and are classic-looking, but they are also very static. I think this book would be even better if the illustrations conveyed some kind of story or character movement, instead of just giving scenic backdrops to the words. Nonetheless, this is an attractive book that will introduce a classic poem to a new generation, and which makes a nice Christmas keepsake.

Beautiful art work, accompanying a beautiful & timeless poem.

I received a free E-Arc from #Netgalley & #Familius for my honest review.

A Christmas poem becomes a picture book full of colored illustrations showing many celebrations for Christmas. This book does tie to the religious aspect of Christmas. Good additional book for family's Christmas collections

This was a great rendition of this poem! The illustrations were so magical and aligned perfectly with the short stanzas on each page. This is a great addition to every holiday collection this season!!

This book needs to be wrapped under the tree for every kid this Christmas because it is absolutely darling. Loved every second of it!

Beautiful poem about not only Christmas, but also peace on earth, good values and hope. The illustrations are gorgeous and elegant. I hadn't heard this poem before this book, and reading the story of the author at the end was truly inspiring. This book is a great addition to a Christmas book collection.

Thank you so much to Familius and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

A beautiful timeless classic poem, a Christmas song many know but isn’t heard about as often as others. This book shares the poem with a beautiful illustrated story of a market during the holidays with families all around.

I loved the way that this book was created, sharing the images that correlated perfectly with the lines of the poem and sharing the beautiful words of hope, peace and the holidays truest meaning.

A great poem for the season, it’s got such a lovely tune to it and I really enjoyed the way it was displayed within this book. A great read for over the Christmas period for families as they can all enjoy it together, singing the tune as they read and look at it.

Absolutely gorgeous. I'm looking up the rest of the "Illustrated Keepsake" series as we speak and putting them on my wish list. Modern-style illustrations bring a classic new poem to life.

The words of a beautiful classic Christmas hymn-a famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow set to music-is wonderfully and beautifully illustrated in a style reminiscent of Grandma. Moses, the folk art painter. The story behind the song is tragic, Longfellow’s wife died in a fire, but its message is eternally inspiring.

I strongly recommend this book for any public or school library.

This picturebook is such a cozy Christmas read.

The illustrations from Janna Steagall take you on a journey through the famous poem: ‘I heard the bells on Christmas day’.

In the book you travel through a snowy village around Christmas time. Despite of all the difficulties and worries one can have, through the story and pictures you get reminded why the bells of Christmas remind to peace.

At the end of the story there’s an interesting piece on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s life, the writer of the poem.

This book is excellent to read around the festive period, in a classroom or at home.
And also a perfect book to give as a Christmas present.

Thanks to Familius and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review