The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey - by Susan Wojciechowski (Hardcover)

About the Book

The widow McDowell and her seven-year-old son Thomas ask the gruff Jonathan Toomey, the best wood-carver in the valley, to carve the figures for a Christmas creche.

Book Synopsis

"The tale is unfolded with such mastery, humor, and emotional force that we are entirely within its power." --The New York Times Book Review

Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley, but he is always alone and never smiles. No one knows about the mementos of his lost wife and child that he keeps in an unopened drawer. But one early winter's day, a widow and her young son approach him with a gentle request that leads to a joyful miracle. The moving, lyrical tale, gloriously illustrated by P.J. Lynch, has been widely hailed as a true Christmas classic. This beautiful edition includes a note from the author and an audio narration by James Earl Jones available as a complimentary download.

Review Quotes

"The miracle here- and I'm referring not to Jonathan's miracle but the writer's- is that the tale is unfolded with such mastery, humor and emotional force that we are entirely within its power. Even as we know where we are going, we don't want to be anywhere else." - The New York Times Books Review

"Lynch provides the illustrations for another Christmas favourite, Susan Wojciechowski's The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, which carries a message of hope and redemption that resonates deeply at this time of year." - The Irish Times

"This moving story has the depth of a Christmas classic, and the elegant text teaches the strength of love and sharing. Sepia-toned illustrations have a gentle luminosity and beautifully portray the wood-carver's journey into brightness. A lovely book." - Washington Times

"An inspiring tale of a grouchy woodcarver and the miracle of his change of heart . . . beautifully illustrated." - Detroit Free Press

"Jonathan Toomey is a Scroogelike recluse . . . who hides a sad secret. He's transformed . . . by a seven-year-old and his widowed mother. The story is told with feeling and lyricism. Lynch's sweeping illustrations are both realistic and gloriously romantic." - Booklist

"The act of carving a creche for a young boy heals the wood-carver's sorrowing heart. Both the story and artwork are exquisitely presented in what promises to become a holiday classic." - American Bookseller, Pick of the Lists

"The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, illus. by P.J. Lynch, pairs what Publisher's Weekly's starred review called an 'elegant, poignant' story, about the spiritual reawakening of a bitter man, with richly detailed watercolors of an early-American setting." - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Susan Wojciechowski, a former children's librarian, is the author of numerous books for children, including a series of books about Beany, a lovable worrywart. She lives in York, Pennsylvania.

P.J. Lynch, one of today's most revered illustrators, has won many awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal twice--for The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey and When Jessie Came Across the Sea. He is also the illustrator of A Christmas Carol and The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower, or John Howland's Good Fortune. He lives in Dublin.