'This is a warm and engaging Christmas story set during the Great Depression.Rebecca is nine years old when her large, close-knit family moves into a tarpaper farm house in Wisconsin.Because times are hard, she does not find the porcelain doll she had hoped for under the Christmas tree.Instead, her mother surprises her with a thick gingerbread doll named Button Marie, which she loves ?in a way you could never love anything from a store.' ...These paintings (which are reminiscent of the work of Andrew Wyeth) convey a strong sense of the affection that pervades the family over the generations.The emphasis on such familiar things as family storytelling and rituals makes this a slice of Americana that the picture book crowd can savor.'-ALA Booklist
'Lloyd's sharply observed realistic watercolors-in a palette somewhat grayed as if to recall old be photos-beautifully reflect this well-told story's warmth and focus on essential values.'-Kirkus Reviews
