After over 20 years helping businesses solve their problems, Barbara Escher turned her writing and problem solving skills in a new direction. The Girl Who Found Christmas: An Advent Calendar Storybook (Red Mitten) tells the story of a six-year-old girl named Belinda.
On one chilly December 1, Belinda is tasked by her mom with a big mystery to solve: “Can you, Belinda, figure out what it is that makes it Christmas?” Well, Belinda is a pretty smart girl with a lot of imagination (and quite a bit of confidence). She accepted the challenge.
Since her mom is deployed (Belinda thinks that means “far away”), it’s doubly important to her that she solve the mystery. And so she begins immediately, searching for clues and drawing a new one every day.
Twenty-five bedtime stories follow Belinda’s adventures. Kids who follow the stories are likely to understand the challenges Belinda faces. After all, maybe it is the Christmas tree that makes it Christmas (better draw one)? Or maybe it’s the reindeer. Or Santa. Each day, her dad tapes the drawings to the kitchen wall, creating Belinda’s own Advent Calendar (or a Treasure Map) with a big red X on December 25.
Kids who have heard the stories advise parents and grandparents to have plenty of crayons and paper handy for children who wish to join Belinda as she finds her way from the snowman to the manger. It’s a very busy journey with a lot of clues.
“There were several themes that came together in this story,” sys Escher. “My desire to offer children both the traditional and the spiritual Christmas. The hope of sparking kids’ creativity in thinking on their own about Christmas. And, most important, the belief that there are plenty of kids who are missing someone important in their lives. Maybe military families. Or families who have lost someone. Belinda’s approach to the daily Advent ritual brings together my hopes for all of these themes.” ◊
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