The Familyman’s Christmas Treasury (Crew Review)
About The Familyman’s Christmas Treasury
I’m pretty particular about what we focus on during the Christmas season, and I really wasn’t sure what to expect when we first started listening to these stories. I was pleased to find that not only were they all Christ-centered, they were thought-provoking as well. Here are some brief summaries of the eight stories we received.
Cootie McKay’s Nativity
When a small town’s cherished nativity scene is ruined, they commission a local man to create a new one for next year. The only trouble is, Cootie McKay is not only a little odd, he doesn’t even know the Christmas story. Over the course of the year, Cootie learns about Jesus, and his creation helps the whole town see the familiar figures in a new way.
Captain Chaos and the Manger Blaster
When Jason gets irritated with his sister’s fascination with their “boring” manger scene, he pretends to blast it to bits, never expecting his wish to come true. “Captain Chaos” erases the birth of Jesus from history, and Jason sees how different life would be if he had not been born, gaining a new appreciation of the true meaning of Christmas.
The Stranger
As a stranger comes knocking at the homes of members of a small church, fear and distrust threaten to taint their Christmas experience. On a snowy Christmas Eve, Sam’s family receives the dreaded knock, but his father only hesitates a moment before inviting the stranger in. The family is soon able to look past Jesse’s outward appearance and their Christmas is truly blessed as they open their home and hearts to him.
The Bishop’s Dream
Not just another re-telling of the story of Saint Nicholas, “The Bishop’s Dream” looks at the true historical man and places him a modern setting, imagining what he would think of the shift toward a holiday focused on Santa and presents rather than Christ.
Harold Grubbs and the Christmas Vest
Isaac is embarrassed by the plaid Christmas vest his father insists on wearing to church every year as soon as Thanksgiving has past until he learns about the story of Harold Grubbs and how God changed him.
Gladys Remembers Christmas
Gladys hasn’t had a joyful Christmas since she was six years old, just before her mother died. Years later, while packing up her father’s house, she finds their old manger scene, and discovers love for the the first time since childhood.
The Secret of Snow Village*
Catherine loves to look at her grandmother’s ceramic village. Somehow Christmas seems better for the small figures, though she can’t figure out what she’s missing until she visits the village herself and finds out what Christmas is really about.
It’s Called Christmas*
300 years in the future, Nook is puzzled when his “Happy Holiday” greeting is returned with the puzzling reply, “It’s called Christmas?” All traces of this word seem to have been erased, and it is no easy task for Nook to find out what Christmas is, but when he does, he sends a warning back to the past in hopes that Christmas can be saved for future generations.
*These final two of the stories are not included in the collection in the CD collection, though all eight are available in book format.
Our Experience
Todd Wilson says, “As the father of eight children, I wanted Christmas stories that took longer than 5 minutes to read, didn’t confuse the truth with a tale, and above all, pointed my children to the Savior. I couldn’t find any, so I wrote my own. My hope is that Cootie McKay”s Nativity will give you gobs of snuggling time, Christmas enchantment, and will point your children to the manger year after year. ”
He has certainly succeeded, and the stories will definitely become part of our family’s Christmas tradition. Ian really liked “Captain Chaos and the Manger Blaster.” I have a hard time picking a favorite, but I think either “Cootie McKay’s Nativity” or “The Secret of the Snow Village” would be at the top of my list. I loved the creativity and variety in all these Christmas stories, and Jim Hodges is a wonderful storyteller whose warm voice draws you in as you listen. We enjoyed all of these stories so much, I’m looking forward to getting the two Easter stories for our family as well.
