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Reviews
The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Sioux Childhood by Ellen Beier, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
mslibrarynerd's review
4.0
Beautiful Christmas story about a young woman wishing for a Christmas coat. The illustrations are lovely and the story a good moral tale about the Christmas spirit.
collegecate's review
2.0
A nice story that provides some incidental information about reservation life during the childhood of the author Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. But doesn't offer a point for readers to reflect, like a page at the end that summarizes the life makes people confront the prejudices that created circumstances where people were relocated to inhospitable environments and then denied the minimum requirements to live there (like warm clothing) and had to rely on the backhanded charity of east coasters. So...it's a good book, but I can see you could read it and just move on without processing.
Read for Read Harder 2019: A children's or middle grad book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009. This book won the American Indian Youth Literature Award – Picture Book. "These awards are presented every two years and were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians." Recommended by Book Riot: https://bookriot.com/2019/03/14/childrens-diversity-award-books/
Read for Read Harder 2019: A children's or middle grad book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009. This book won the American Indian Youth Literature Award – Picture Book. "These awards are presented every two years and were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians." Recommended by Book Riot: https://bookriot.com/2019/03/14/childrens-diversity-award-books/
lauralynnwalsh's review
4.0
The idea behind this book - the need for a new coat, but the need to make sure others who need things more get what they need - is not new, but the story is told and illustrated well. And, it can really contribute to much needed diversity.
antlersantlers's review
4.0
This is such a lovely Christmas story that I will definitely put on display this coming year (lest it get lost amongst the dreck). You really feel for Virginia walking through the yucky winter muck on her way to school in a too-small coat, and I think it will be particularly well felt during winter when the weather in Wisconsin is also less than cooperative. Because she's the daughter of the pastor, their family lets all the other kids choose items from Theast packages (used clothes and stuff sent from from The East) so she and her brother are stuck with last pick. She watches a schoolmate choose the beautiful coat she wanted, and oh it stings. But all turns out well and the reader gets a glimpse into their holiday traditions and the joyous, celebratory times spent with family.
Definitely more of a lap read than a read aloud, but we don't really read Christmas books for story time anyways. I remember my parents and I would read from our box of Christmas books, and I would have loved to add in something like this.
Definitely more of a lap read than a read aloud, but we don't really read Christmas books for story time anyways. I remember my parents and I would read from our box of Christmas books, and I would have loved to add in something like this.
farkle's review
4.0
A beautiful holiday story. Set on a reservation, but a universal story of the spirit of giving and receiving.
decafjess's review
5.0
A warm and beautifully illustrated story. A few things to consider for people using this as a resource in a library/school/church/etc. setting:
1. The moral of the story (that good things will come to you if you put others first) comes through clearly. You could also use this in a more religious/Sunday school setting by discussing divine providence. This is a very versatile story that could be told to different age groups and in different settings; it is appropriate for both religious or secular Christmas storytimes.
2. American Indian children and their families are portrayed without any of the usual stereotypes.
1. The moral of the story (that good things will come to you if you put others first) comes through clearly. You could also use this in a more religious/Sunday school setting by discussing divine providence. This is a very versatile story that could be told to different age groups and in different settings; it is appropriate for both religious or secular Christmas storytimes.
2. American Indian children and their families are portrayed without any of the usual stereotypes.
rebekahmorris's review
4.0
What a sweet Christmas story. It was written by a woman who grew up on a Sioux reservation and her special Christmas. I loved the emphasis on putting others first even when you need something as much or more than the other person.
The illustrations were a delight.
This is a Christmas story I’ll be happy to read to my nieces and nephews.
The illustrations were a delight.
This is a Christmas story I’ll be happy to read to my nieces and nephews.
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