The Christmas Coat:
Memories of My Sioux Childhood, by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve,
joins the small group of children’s books by Native authors about celebrating
Christmas. In her story set in the early 20th century, the author
remembers how exciting it was to unpack Theast boxes of used clothing and shoes
sent by church congregations in New England. She hoped that there would be a
coat just her size in the boxes from “the east” which arrive on the reservation
in South Dakota before Christmas. She gave up the only coat that fit her to a
more needy school mate, but still loved the Christmas Eve celebration with the
Nativity pageant which included the 3 Wise Men - boys wearing “headdresses that only
the wise leaders and elders of the tribe could wear.” It’s a great book, suitable to sharing
throughout the year and is the 2012 American Indian Youth Literature Award
winning picture book.
The Christmas Coat:
Memories of My Sioux Childhood. Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk.
Holiday House, 2011.
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