Our second book in this 12 Days of Children’s Christmas Books is perfect for this Saint Nicholas Day! A fun look at the man in red himself: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard, 2021.
We have never had Santa in our house, so books like this are perfectly apt and lovely. Obviously, if you have Santa in your house, this book might cause some confusion; but in my opinion, it adds so much depth to the myth and joy of Santa in however you choose to handle him.
It begins with this page asking a big question: what is the truth and what are the legends?
It then follows in brief the life that we know of the man who became Saint Nicholas and birthed the legend of Santa Claus.
We celebrate Saint Nicholas in small ways every year and this book has added much to our learning about him. Not a lot is certain about Nicholas, given his life was written down years after his death; but his love and devotion to Jesus was so strong, that reputation remains. He was known for great kindness and humility, and also a strong stance against heresy at the Council of Nicaea!
The stories of his secret care for the poor and struggling have stuck in people’s memories and were either miraculous themselves or so profound, they have grown in the retelling. Perhaps we are a bit too cynical in our modern minds for what was happening in those times that we find the only way to make sense of his story is to make it completely mythical and fairytale. Culture also conveniently likes to forget that he was a saint and wholly devoted to Jesus. He earned his official sainthood for his devotion to God and care for the poor; and he also earned persecution. His is a story worth remembering in as much detail as we can find.
I really enjoy this book in its retelling of the story of Saint Nicholas. Bustard’s writing is spare and lyrical. I don’t often love a rhyming text unless done very well, but Bustard pulls it off well and classically here. And I’m fairly certain these illustrations are linocut as that is Bustard’s claim to artistic fame and style, though I cannot find a note on the art.
Check out this lovely book for your own Saint Nicholas remembering. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
Three Books a Night 