Very cute story about a boy bringing Christmas to his friends and family during the great depression. One thing I always look for in children's books is the illustrations. The pictures in this book were lovely, and in the style of the 1930s. They provided a wonderful accompaniment to the story and are very well detailed to keep kids entertained. The story is also very nice and shows that when you have the love of family and friends it doesn't matter what we do or don't have at Christmas.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by netgalley, this review is my honest opinion.

Authors note provides the background for this Depression era memory which the author's father told every year to his son. As Christmas 1933 approaches, Richard's Mom declines to take a free turkey because she feels they have everything they need--a fat red rooster. Mother also encourages her son to make a list of the people he loves, which he then took to the local mercantile and used his one dollar to buy one gift for everyone on his list. Richard found giving his gifts was more fulfilling than receiving, which is the theme of the story, and the book would be a good choice to demonstrate theme.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the digital arc.

Set in the 1933 Depression the author shares a story of his father when he was a little boy. As Christmas approaches Richard worries about Christmas. His mother encourages him to think of the people he loves and how he can share Christmas with them. I thought the illustrations by Dan Burr were especially beautiful, giving a feel for the time period. It isn’t a religious story but does include a family prayer where thanks is given for the baby who brought Christmas to the world. Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the temporary ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.

A heartwarming Christmas story based on the true story of a young boy growing up in the Great Depression who wanted to bring Christmas cheer to those around him.

Beautifully illustrated Christmas story about the joy of giving. I loved how young Richard's excitement in giving grew as Christmas grew nearer, as well as his thankfulness for what he had. I especially liked how his mother encouraged him to think of others.

A wonderful Christmastime read to share with the young people in your life about the joy of giving and family at Christmastime.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.