{"product_id":"the-christmas-that-almost-wasnt-9798889830153","title":"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCelebrating Christmas in the dark and finding joy in the unexpected.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAidan's city is hit with an ice storm just days before Christmas, causing the electrical grid to go down. All their Christmas plans are ruined! One disappointment piles on another: Grandma and Grandpa cannot travel, the Christmas pageant is canceled, there are no Christmas lights, and it's impossible to cook a Christmas dinner. But Aidan and his dad persevere to bring doughnuts and coffee to neighbors, and then they're invited to a neighborhood Christmas potluck.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs Aidan's mom tells the Christmas story, he realizes that the first Christmas was full of disappointment and unexpected community too. Suddenly Christmas feels special again as Aidan feels connected to the Bible story from long ago, to his grandparents far away, and to his neighbors and family nearby. God is here in the midst of it all.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSometimes Christmas is not all we hope or expect it to be. \u003ci\u003eThe Christmas That Almost Wasn't\u003c\/i\u003e invites readers to ponder how sometimes, when things are taken away, it brings us closer to the heart of the holy mystery that still draws us into its warmth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Laura Alary\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Beaming Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/30\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 40\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798889830153\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlary, Laura:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLaura Alary\u003c\/strong\u003e is a storyteller, educator, mother of three, and picture book author. Her book \u003cem\u003eAll the Faces of Me\u003c\/em\u003e was named a 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. She is also the author of \u003cem\u003eHere: The Dot We Call Home\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMake Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Astronomer Who Questioned Everything\u003c\/em\u003e, among many others. Laura lives with her family in Toronto, where she once spent a very chilly and memorable Christmas after the ice storm of 2013.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEguaras, Ana:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAna Eguaras\u003c\/strong\u003e is an illustrator based in a small town in northern Spain. She graduated in Fine Arts from the University of Salamanca, specializing in illustration. Ana's artwork is mainly digital, yet she always tries to depict the materiality of traditional media while creating cozy and colorful worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ripon Bookstore","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44117680783405,"sku":"9798889830153","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/0501\/1245\/files\/img_c70c19ba-135e-433b-a2b9-916417ac553e.jpg?v=1756155385","url":"https:\/\/riponbookstore.com\/products\/the-christmas-that-almost-wasnt-9798889830153","provider":"Ripon Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}