When it comes to kids’ books, you can’t go wrong with cute little animals. Animals can help us tell stories with very human themes in a more colorful and simplified way.
Author Mike Martin has made the smart choice to use animals to tell his Christmas story about friendship, A Friend for Christmas. Below is my review of A Friend for Christmas followed by an interview with Martin.
A Friend for Christmas plot summary
Robbie the rabbit spends his days out in the wintery landscape gathering food for his wife, Rowena, and their nine kits. He keeps lucking out on finding food for his family by digging into cartons of his favorite vegetables that are left outside.
As he ventures outside each day, Robbie happens to see humans making preparations for Christmas. A squirrel friend named Sidney explains the holiday to Robbie.
One day, on his way home with his latest findings, Robbie encounters a cat. Afraid of the cat’s intentions, he runs away. But on their next meeting, he finds that the cat wants to be his friend. And he and his family spend their first Christmas day with their new friend.
The story
A Friend for Christmas is a gentle, friendly story that presents our overly commercial holiday from a simpler point of view, that of the animals who get to reap the benefits of our yearly traditions while still finding the meaning behind it. Christmas itself takes a backseat at first to the fact that Robbie has found this seemingly unlimited supply of vegetables that he can take home to his family each day.
When he comes home, he discreetly tells Rowena about his adventures out of earshot of their kits. They celebrate Christmas at the end of the book, having faced their fears and formed a new friendship.
The three main plots, finding food, learning about Christmas, and making a new friend, are largely unrelated, and I would have liked to have seen a more cohesive through-line between these events. However, they are all cute, kid friendly stories in and of themselves.
The characters
Robbie is the focal point of A Friend for Christmas. It’s his job to venture out into the world, and as a result, he’s the one who has stories to tell at the end of each day. Rowena is stuck at home with the kits, too afraid to venture out for fear of the danger out there.
I was a little disappointed that Rowena and the kits don’t have much to do until the end of the story. Robbie is good about sharing his tales, leaving out the scary parts and telling them to Rowena later. But I would have liked to have seen Rowena take some initiative or one of the curious kits take a risk. Instead, they only get to come out at the very end.
I also scratched my head at making the cat the initial villain of the story. I felt like a beagle or a wild animal more notorious for chasing rabbits would be more appropriate. But it’s also a unique take and one that helps young readers to see right away that this cat is going to be the title friend of the story.
We may know right off the bat that the cat means no harm, but Robbie is conditioned to fear them. So, in his eyes, the cat is scary, and that makes the reader question if Robbie is right to be afraid.
The illustrations
The illustrations by Shey Kolee are very clean, colorful, and perfect at telling the story. I love Robbie’s small, timid features and how they contrast with Whisper the cat’s big, friendly eyes. The backgrounds are simple yet just detailed enough to bring them to life and create a fun atmosphere. I also like the bright pastel color palette of the indoor scenes and how color is even worked into the wintery scenes to make them festive and keep them from looking stark and dreary.
The text and formatting
A Friend for Christmas is 38 pages long. Each page contains multiple paragraphs including both narration and dialogue between the characters. It’s still a quick read, but it is most ideal for a preschool aged audience or older, one with a longer attention span and ability to absorb more intricate plot details.
The text is set at the top of each page and runs to about the halfway mark, still providing enough room for the illustrations. Kids’ eyes and hands tend to gravitate to the bottom of half of books, and it’s nice having the text up high so that it’s easier to read to young audiences.
My recommendation
I recommend A Friend For Christmas to readers looking for a more advanced holiday picture book. The story contains a cute little moral to not judge a book by its cover and presents a fun and uncommercialized depiction of the Christmas season. Featuring cute little animal characters doesn’t hurt either.
My rating
An interview with Mike Martin
What made you want to write a story that takes place at Christmastime? What’s your relationship with Christmas?
I love Christmas. It is a break from a long and dark winter. It is a feeling of hope and light.
Did you plot the story out in advance?
No. I am a true panser. I write from the creative flow. This story just came out and I wrote it down as best and as past as I could.
Do you have a favorite character?
I love Whisper the Cat because they are kind and help Robbie get over his fears.
Why did you choose a cat to be the initial “villain” of the story? What’s your advice for detecting potential friends from enemies?
That’s interesting and I hadn’t really thought of it. I am a dog person versus a cat person, so I guess I don’t really understand cats. That makes them mysterious and also a good villain who turns out to be not so bad after all.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
That Christmas is about love and friendship. All different kinds. And that when you open your heart you can overcome your fears.
How closely did you collaborate with Shey Kolee on the illustrations?
Shey showed me drafts, and I made a few minor changes. But once I saw the cover, I knew that she was the right cover designer for me, and I trusted her.
Who do you most want to read your book?
I would love parents and grandparents to read this story to their wee people. That thought makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. The idea of writing a book is to bring people pleasure, and I think this little book will do that.
What’s next for you?
Back to writing mysteries. I have a new Sgt. Windflower mystery coming out next year, and I’m already more than halfway through the next one. Stay busy. Stay writing.
Buy it!
Buy a copy of A Friend for Christmas on Amazon here!
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