A Green Christmas by Theodora Kroeber & Illus by John Larrecq

I found this sweet little book on the shelf in my library. It is definitely vintage, but such cute little pictures and a sweet story of parents trying to help their children transition to a new place and new landscape. 

See? Cute pictures. And it is very green.

A little boy and his sister lived in the  mountains of Colorado.

Until they moved to California with rolling brown hills and so much warm sunshine.

Thanksgiving was rainy.

And so was Christmas. How could this be? How could Santa deal with green grass instead of snow?!

After assurances from their parents, the boy and his sister fall asleep. 

In the morning, before the sun is up, they quietly sneaked downstairs to see if Santa had really been there. And he had! And he left a note! 

Santa told them how nice it was to let his reindeer graze for a little while on new clover after delivering all the presents. 

They ran outside to look for footprints and found sleigh runner marks and hooves. 

And it turns out that green Christmases can be lovely as well. 

Pretty endpapers

Sensible Kate by Doris Gates and Illustrated by Marjorie Torrey

I acquired this book the last time our school library discarded a huge quantity of books. They set them outside the library, free for the taking. Since most of them were vintage-y and marvelous, I staggered away under several armloads of books. 

I did that several times--every time they would put out a new batch, I swooped in. I felt guilty about taking all this loveliness, but the one time I didn't go to the school to check, the librarian finally told my sister to tell me a new batch was out. Apparently no one else was as delighted by old worn kids books as much as I was. 

Anyway, to get back to the book. I read this out loud to the kids and.... oh happiness. It was so sweet, so crystal clear, and achingly beautiful. Maybe it was just the mood I was in, but I don't think I have ever had such an immediate emotional response to a book before or after. I was Kate. I could feel the Northern California coast's wintry sunlight, the ocean breeze stirring my red braids. 

Kate is a little girl in the California foster care system of the 1940's. Living without much constancy or affection in her life, Kate has learned to hide her emotion deep and in turn, has become amazingly sensible for a 10 year old girl. 

The story opens with Kate waking up in yet another new bed. This time she has been placed with an elderly childless couple, the Tuttles. The Tuttles are very kind, but Mrs. Tuttle is brusque and Mr. Tuttle is very shy.