''Waiting-for-Christmas Stories'' is a 1994 American children's book written by

Bethany Roberts Barbara Snow Beverage, who uses the pen name Bethany Roberts, (born September 6, 1949) is an American children's author, known for her series of picture books informally marketed as ''Holiday Mice''. Personal life and education Roberts was ...

and illustrated by Sarah Stapler. The last in the informally named ''Waiting-for Series'', it follows the same format as the first two titles (1984's '' Waiting-for-Spring Stories'' and 1990's '' Waiting-for-Papa Stories''), this time with a holiday flavor. As with the two previous titles, reviews for this instalment were positive. Starting in 1995, publisher

Houghton Mifflin The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...

(under its Clarion Books imprint) would bring out more holiday-themed books by Roberts under the ''Holiday Mice'' banner.

Synopsis

Papa Rabbit, the father previously seen in '' Waiting-for-Spring Stories'' (1984) and ''Waiting-for-Papa Stories'' (1990), shares seven miniature stories about the holiday season with his family in the same vein as the previous books.

Development

With ''Waiting-for-Christmas Stories'', publication of the series nicknamed ''Waiting-for'' moved from

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins, based in New York City. Founded in New York in 1817 by James Harper and his brother John, the company operated as J. & J. Harper until 1833, when ...

's Clarion Books imprint. Maine-based artist Susan Stapler, who replaced

William Joyce William Brooke Joyce (24 April 1906 – 3 January 1946), nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, was an American-born Fascism, fascist and Propaganda of Nazi Germany, Nazi propaganda broadcaster during the World War II, Second World War. After moving from ...

by the time of ''Waiting-for-Papa Stories'', remained as series illustrator.

, a children's author based in

Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant (Connecticut), Sleeping Giant". The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecti ...

, originally drafted ''Waiting-for-Christmas'' during 1984; in later years, she would spend one week on a revision that formed the basis of the final version. At the time of the draft, she pondered on "what animals would be waiting for spring. After I had a character, I thought, 'What else would children be waiting for?' 'Waiting-for Christmas' was really easy to think of. It sounded like a logical choice."

Reception

Deborah Abbott of ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'' wrote that ''Waiting-for-Christmas Stories'' was "nice for sharing one-on-one". Roger Sutton, Editor of ''

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ''The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books'' is an academic journal established in 1945 by Frances E. Henne ( University of Chicago Graduate Library School).Wedgeworth, Robert. ''World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services''. C ...

'', gave it an "R" (Recommended) grade. "The tone is droll and comfy, the stories silly but low-key, and while younger listeners might be confused by the storytelling frame (since the rabbits in the stories are the rabbits in the family)," he went on to say, "they'll still appreciate each brief vignette." Margaret Deaver of ''

The Wichita Eagle ''The Wichita Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Originating in the early 1870s, shortly after the city's founding, it is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surr ...

'' remarked, "The short, simple sentences make this book a good one for beginning readers." Abbott and Sutton both stated that the watercolor work went well with the holiday aesthetic. Both of them, along with Deaver, noted the animacy of various Christmas objects. Among those, Abbott said, were "a mailbox, a rolling pin, a gift box, and a treetop star" that "provide a refreshing tone to these gentle episodes."

Legacy

Under the Clarion imprint, Roberts would later write more books about animals celebrating holidays and observances via what became the ''Holiday Mice'' series, with Doug Cushman as the illustrator. The first title, '' Halloween Mice!'', was announced in December 1994 and published in August 1995.

References

{{reflist 1994 children's books Books by Bethany Roberts Children's books about rabbits and hares Christmas children's books Clarion Books books