The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden

It is a small gem that can be brushed quickly every Christmas season. No regrets that I have read it out of season. It is a lovey story for the season of Christmas. At under 100 pages it is ideal to be read aloud to children of 4+.Īnother lovely piece of children's literature. This is story telling at its best, which will undoubtedly leave you feeling a little wrung out, but absolutely cheering at the end! If you read one story to your children at Christmas which absolutely invokes the spirit of the season, this should be it. The way that Rumer Goden brings together these three characters is absolutely masterly. Mr Jones scoffs kindly at her preparations, but knows that she longs for a little girl of her own. Meanwhile, a lady called Mrs Jones puts up her Christmas tree and waits for her policeman husband to return from his beat. When Ivy sees her through the window, they both know they belong together – but Ivy has no money and the glass separates them and then the shop closes… In the toyshop, a pretty doll called Holly is dressed for Christmas and longs for a little girl of her own to love her. However, Ivy gets off and goes in hunt of the home that must belong to her.

Stubbornly, Ivy declares she will go to her ‘grandmother’ but she has no grandmother and so Miss Shepherd puts her on the train. It centres on a little orphan girl, called Ivy, who is shunted off on Christmas Eve to the Infants’ Home, as there is nobody to look after her. This is an absolutely enchanting and extremely moving Christmas tale for children.

The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden