The Littlest Angel

I should know by now that you read the longest book first, especially if it's one you want to enjoy, too.

We took a trip to the bookstore this evening, in search of a Christmas present for a friend. While we didn't find what I was looking for, we didn't leave empty-handed. My kids learned long ago that I will almost never deny them a new book. As we were browsing for something that caught Juliana's eye, I came across one of my all time favorites-- The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell. This copy was illustrated by Paul Micich, which is my favorite version.

So, after Juliana's "princess story", I began to read The Littlest Angel. A few sentences in, it came back to me that it's not really a story that a small child can enjoy the way a bigger child can. Still, I continued to read, because it's such a favorite of mine this time of year. Juliana played around with her blanket, and looked at the pictures, but didn't participate much in tonight's selection. I read through to the end, almost crying at the very end. It's such a touching story.

I'm sure my mom started reading it to me when I was too little to sit still for it, too. Someday, hopefully, Juliana will read it to her fidgety child on a cold December night. So while the bedtime stories are for Juliana, they're not just for her.