Reviews

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

imaclogger23's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief

simplymary's review against another edition

4.0

We started a tradition of letting the kids pick one wrapped Christmas book per night in December and reading it to them. Matthew bought a bunch of new books and it's been fun to read them together. This one takes the cake, hands down. Both the story and the illustrations are top-notch. The author's objective was to write a story that captures the power of the hope of Christmas illuminating despondency, and the illustrator spent a lot of time researching the period to get all the details right. I found myself savoring every page, spending time poring over the touching illustrations, smiling at the child's words, wondering how it would end. I'm happy to own it so I can revisit this work of art each December.

rachelmcg2004's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, and Death of parent

hheartbooks's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

kristalsty119's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Similiar character to the Grinch or Scrooge who comes around by the end of the story

happytreereads's review against another edition

4.0

I FOUND IT.
I found my favorite Christmas book from my childhood. The exact same recording, with the music, and read in the same, deep, soothing voice of James Earl Jones that I remembered so vividly.
mY hEaRt iS bEiNg hEaLed.
I don't remember very many picture books I read when I was little, but I always remembered this one distinctly. Especially the part with the sticky raisin buns, for some reason.
When I read this tonight, on Christmas Eve, I felt like I was eight years old again, transported back in time, sitting on my living room floor, flipping through the pages, looking at the beautiful pictures. There were parts of this book I forgot, but the thing that impacted me the most as a child-the story of love and friendship, of kindness that can change even the most battered heart-stuck with me all these years, and I never forgot it.
Or the sticky raisin buns. Didn't forget those either. They still look SO good.
.
ahhhh i just love this book so much.
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AND I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATIONS. BECAUSE PEOPLE. they are perfect. i could stare at them for hours. just...they are perfect. i have nothing else to say.
.

alina_b25777's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

lee_hillshire's review against another edition

 

This is super sweet and soft. I like it a lot.

 

theonionboy's review against another edition

5.0

Beautifully illustrated, it is a good story with a good lesson, but it is very short. Our family made a dramatized recording of this to play for our relatives one year, and we had a lot of fun with it. It came out very good, if I say so myself.