Clear Christmas Eve, A

A Clear Christmas Eve
by Coreen Bannerholt; Illustrated by Olha Tkachenko
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing|
Review by Sally Meadows
$19.95 ISBN 9781778690464

“On a clear Christmas Eve, the softly falling snow lay gentle as a blanket on the festive scene below.” Thus begins a brand-new holiday story, A Clear Christmas Eve, with a charming twist on the traditional night before Christmas story that hints at deeper spiritual truths. This lovely story is a must read for children-and those who read to them-and is destined to become a holiday classic.

It is Christmas Eve, and Santa’s reindeer are raring to get on their way to fulfill their mission of sharing gifts around the world. Despite weather challenges and an unplanned stop, the reindeer press on in unison for their communal goal of spreading joy from east to west. Finally, with their assignment completed, Santa and his reindeer disappear into the night with the faith, hope, love, peace, and goodwill foundational to the real Christmas story lingering on.

I adore how author Coreen Bannerholt bestows a unique personality and role to each reindeer. Their camaraderie as they work together to accomplish the greater purpose of spreading love and care over the entire world is endearing. It is interesting that, although Santa’s reindeer are traditionally depicted as male, Coreen has made sure to identify at least one reindeer (Dasher) as female, a nod I believe to her belief in inclusiveness.

Coreen was an experienced early childhood educator who travelled the world on mission trips teaching English, serving local churches, and sharing God’s love. She had a heart to help others, and her story, with its lovely, lilting, lyrical rhymes, radiates her gentle, kind spirit. It is no surprise that Mrs. Claus has been given Coreen’s likeness, as her own life reflects the generosity of Santa himself.

Learning that Coreen passed away before she saw her book in print made this engaging story even more poignant. Her book has not only fulfilled Coreen’s long-time dream to be a published author, it is her legacy of love and light personified.

Illustrator Olha Tkachenko is a talented Ukrainian-Canadian visual artist living in Toronto who brings children’s stories to life with her meticulous and delightful coloured pencil drawings. The level of detail-particularly her depictions of wildlife and nature-instills a sense of wonder and awe that readers will treasure. 

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM.