From Publishers Weekly
Drawing on childhood memories of Christmas in a New Mexican village, Momaday produces a poetic story that skillfully blends Christian and Native American traditions. On Christmas Eve, Tolo, a lonely mute boy, is drawn by the spirit of his beloved grandfather to a bonfire in the mountains, where he shares a "circle of wonder and good will" with an elk, a wolf and an eagle. His heart fills with love for his family, for the Christ child and for all creation, and in this brief glimpse of the interconnectedness of all life his loneliness is banished forever. Features Momaday's singular, impressionistic artwork. All ages. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bloomsbury Review
Both story and illustrations in this wonderful book sprang from Pulitzer Prize-winning Momadays remembrances of his childhood on the Jemez Reservation, particularly during the Christmas season. He tells the story of a young mute named Tolo who shares the spirituality of the mountains and meadows with his grandfather. Upon his grandfathers death, Tolo plunges into loneliness. The frenzy of the Christmas season reawakens him, and Tolo follows the vision of his late grandfather back into the meadow where he is empowered by other creatures of the wild. Tolo transcends his own sorrow to understand the Christmas spirit.

Book Talk
A truly beautiful book, by a great author. . . . Every youngster (and oldster!) will be enthralled by the paintings of Momaday (Kiowa, by way of Jemez) and his tale of a Pueblo Christmas.

ANNOTATION

A mute Indian child has an extraordinary experience one Christmas when, following a figure who seems to be his beloved dead grandfather, he becomes part of a circle in which he, animals, nature, and all the world join in a moment of peace and good will.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly