The Story of Holly and Ivy

by Rumer Godden

Book Overview

Godden's classic tale, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Cooney, is filled with the warm glow of the Christmas spirit in this stunning, newly colorized edition. Full color.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670062197
• ISBN13: 9780670062195
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.2" x 10.7"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

An essential Christmas story

This is a perfect book for reading aloud to a grade school child...but my junior high school daughter still loves it as well. It is a charmingly written tale of the twists of fate that unite orphan girl Ivy with the Christmas doll Holly in the nick of time. The genius of Rumer Godden is that she writes it in a way that the adult reading the story enjoys it fully as much as the child listening. Barbara Cooney's illustrations look exactly the way the story looks in one's imagination. When I first went looking for a hardcover version of this book it was very hard to find, so order this one now. Your kids will treasure it in their library.

This story is what Christmas is all about.

Holly and Ivy was originally published in Ladies Home Journal in the 1950s. My mom clipped the story from the magazine, and read it to me and my sister every Christmas. The lonely little orphan girl Ivy and the doll Holly who wished so much to have a child for Christmas, really touched a chord with us. For me it started a life-long love for Rumer Godden, especially for her doll stories. To fully appreciate the story, you have to hear it read aloud.