An Old-Fashioned Country Christmas

The merriest of Christmases is celebrated by a family of chipmunks and their rabbit relatives in 12 cozy scenes depicting a past of simpler pleasures. Beginning with a triumphant trip home with the tree, dinner preparations and an old-fashioned skate at the ice rink, winding down with the opening of packages and a trip to church and finally ending with a firelight read-aloud session on Christmas night, the frames are part of a fold-out frieze. After a few careful looks, 10 of the frames can be punched out and sent as postcards, while the border can be used as a fold-out display of family photographs. Although the book is termed a novelty, it works as a story as well, and readers will be torn between the fun of mailing their own cards, and the desire to keep this small, homey treasure for themselves. (All ages