Monday Memories: The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden

This is a lovely Christmas story. Yes I said Christmas. As I child I loved to read it at all times of the year. My grandma had the book and I remember her reading it to me and enjoying the pictures together. I loved the descriptions of the cold and Ivy's coat and gloves. I loved how Holly and the other toys came to life when no one was around.  Holly needed Ivy and Ivy needed a family. It is a Christmas story so it has a happy ending. The wonderful illustrations add so much to this story. This book was first published in 1958. The author passed away in 1998. This is most likely a book that many modern children may have missed. It makes a great Christmas read but teaches a lesson that is good to know all year round.

The illustrator Adrienne Adams has illustrations in over thirty children's books. She also won Caldecott Honors twice. Rumer Godden is the author of more then sixty books. She wrote children's stories, but she also wrote many stories that were set in India. Nine of her books were made into films. Godden is considered by some to be one of the foremost English language authors of the 20th Century.

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