Book Review" 'The Christmas Cobwebs' by Odds Bodkin

✰✰✰✰ This take on the legend of the Christmas spider takes place in Chicago. When a shoemaker and his wife leave German, the only thing they bring to remind them of their homeland is a box of beautiful glass Christmas ornaments. Business is going well for the cobbler when a fire breaks out and destroys the cobbler's shop and home. The family escapes with just their lives and the precious box of ornaments. 

With nowhere else to go, the family moves into an abandoned shack filled with cobwebs. In order to start over, the shoemaker must make a decision to sell the ornaments. On Christmas Even when the family cuts down a fir tree, the children are saddened to learn about the fate of the ornaments. That night the spiders come out and work their magic transforming the tree into a Christmas miracle. The family wakes up to discover the true meaning of Christmas.

The Bottom Line: Each retelling of the legend of the Christmas spider is unique in its own way. Bodkin's story is charming with a focus on family and love. Together this gentle story and the beautiful illustrations reveal the true meaning of Christmas. Enthusiastically recommended holiday reading for kids ages 3 - 7.

Details: The Christmas Cobwebs written by Odds Bodkin & illustrated by Terry Widener. Hardcover picture book published by Gulliver Books in 2001. 32 p. ISBN: 0-15-201459-4