The Christmas Anna Angel

The Christmas Anna Angel

First edition
Author	Ruth Sawyer
Illustrator	Kate Seredy
Publisher	Viking Press
Publication date	1944
Pages	unpaged
Awards	Caldecott Honor

The Christmas Anna Angel is a 1944 picture book by Ruth Sawyer and illustrated by Kate Seredy. Although written and published during World War II, the story takes place in Hungary during World War I as a girl Anna hopes for a Christmas miracle. Seredy was the perfect choice to illustrate a story set in rural Hungary during World War I, full of local costumes and traditions. The story begins, realistically, with a farming family. Just as realistically, ruthless soldiers search the farm for flour, and take the year’s harvest. Happily, young Anna’s faith in a personal angel, her own Anna Angel, is rewarded by a dream-like Christmas Eve making and baking of the special Christmas cake – just in time for Christmas Day. Fortunately, Anna’s little dog is able to talk, and helps her, too.

The book was a recipient of a 1945 Caldecott Honor for Kate Seredy's illustrations.[1]

References

1. "Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-05-01.