The Bird's Christmas Carol

As I was growing up, this book became a perennial favorite of mine. I was lucky enough to get to buy it via the Scholastic Book Service (in grade school). One of my favorite things about the book were the wonderful illustrations, especially the cover. Recently, though, as I was streaming the original Upstairs Downstairs series, the book suddenly came to mind. I couldn't figure out why until I looked more closely at the characters of Lady Bellamy and her son James--they are the spitting images of Mrs Bird and Uncle Jack in the book! I checked the publication date of the Scholastic Book version, and sure enough! The book was released in 1974, three years after the first season premiered! I still have this book, and I hope to read it to my grandchildren someday, as I did my own children.

The Birds' Christmas Carol was not a familiar story to me. I expected it to be about the birds I find at our feeders. It wasn't. It is a lovely sentimental 'tear-jerker.' It was short, sweet and not entirely predictable. It will be a story that hope will be a Christmas tradition for reading to my grandchildren.

I first heard the Birds Christmas Carol when I was in grade school a long time ago. Our teacher was new to the area and I think she read the story to us because there was a little girl named Peoria. I loved the story from the very start. A few years later my parents purchased a house to renovate and I found a copy of the book in the attic. This was about 1954 or so. The publishing date in the book I discovered was 1888. I treasured this book and read it every year right after Thanksgiving. It always brought tears to my eyes. After I married I thought I packed all my books and stored them in my garage. I really didn't have time to look for or read the book for a few years and one day my son and the littled boy next dood apparently were playingg with matches and burning pages of books in my garage. I was most upset when I felt my old copy of the Birds Christmas Carol was burned up. This was about 1970. Recently, my daughter was searching through some old books at my mothers house and what do you know. She found my cherished copy of The Birds Christmas Carol intact. I have purchased a new copy to read to my children but now I can read my original copy to my grandchildren. I will alway cherish the story.I will always cherich my first copy of it that I have recovered after all these years.

I have the 1920 edition of this book. I have saved it to pass down to my grandchildren. It has been in my possesion since 1950. The most heartwarming story I have ever read. I consider this to be one of my most valuable books and I have rooms filled with books.

I was first introduced to this book when my seventh grade teacher read it to the class. It touched the hearts of all of us, including the boys. I will never forget the reaction. I know it would still be good reading today. I will always treasure the thoughtfullness that the book has given to me and I will always think of Miss Moynihan when I read it. LOVE THIS BOOK

All I wanted for Chrismas the year my teacher read it to my class. I have read it every year since (50 years)! It has been passed on to 3 generations.