I Believe!

I really hope I have started a yearly ritual with this book!

My daughter received this book from a friend of ours last year at Christmas time. Our friend had been raving about this book, The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, for weeks! Every year he read this book to his two sons, even as teenagers!

Chris Van Allsburg has captured a spirit of Christmas time that even I had forgotten. The story is about a little boy who takes a magical train ride up to the North Pole on Christmas eve.

The little boy is honored to receive the first gift of Christmas - a silver bell which hung from one of the reindeer.

Once he is back on the train, he realizes he has lost the bell in his robe pocket, which has a hole. He arrives at home saddened by his loss.

Christmas morning he finds that the bell is a gift under the tree, with a note in it from "Mr. C".

It is written very well, with details so clear you feel as though you are there. The illustrations are charming and beautiful.

I read this to my daughter so many times after receiving this book, at her request. She loves the anticipation of the train ride and where it is headed.

Last Christmas morning, I put a silver bell in her stocking. Honestly, this was the best surprise to her and has engraved us both as true believers. The magic this book has brought to our lives about the non-religious aspects of Christmas is priceless.