In Snowball’s Christmas Tail by the Fire, Snowball the Christmas dog sits in front of the fire with his dog friends and reads Christmas stories to the children.
His first story is Little Girl’s Christmas, a tale about Little Girl who is determined to discover that Santa and all of his magic exist. Though it is a sweet story, several mentions of Christmas spirits that aren’t Christian-related overshadow the concept of the Holy Spirit.
The next story that Snowball shares is The Elves and the Shoemaker. The shoemaker is a hardworking, Christian man who can’t make ends meet. He and his wife are prepared to close shop, but they strongly believe that Jesus will provide for them. After they go to bed that night, elves appear and make a beautiful pair of shoes that the shoemaker can sell. Night after night, the elves make shoes for the shoemaker, and his shop stays in business. To show their thanks, the shoemaker and his wife make new shoes and new outfits for the elves who wore raggedy clothes. This story highlights how important it is to give back, even when you don’t have much to give.
Next, Snowball tells the story of The Fir Tree. The fir tree is a small tree, and all of its tree friends have grown big and tall. Eventually, these tall trees are cut down and taken away. All the while, the fir tree wishes he was tall, wishes he was cut down and taken somewhere special, missing out on the beautiful animals, sunshine, and nature that surrounded him. When he is finally big and tall, he is cut down and taken to a big mansion where he is decorated as a Christmas tree. Naturally, after Christmas, he is tossed away. Though this tale ends on a somber note, it reminds us to be thankful for the little things in each season of life.
The Brave Tin Solider is the next story that Snowball shares. The tin soldier looks different from all of the other tin soldiers in the box. When he was made from a tin spoon, the maker ran out of tin materials, so he was made with only one leg. However, this doesn’t stop him from fighting goblins and rats to meet the beautiful paper doll in the coveted toy castle.
The last story is Little Match Girl. The little match girl is a poor girl who doesn’t have shoes or a coat, but her mean father won’t let her come back home until she’s sold her matches and earned money. It’s dark and cold on New Year’s Eve, and she hasn’t sold a single match. Helpless and freezing, she huddles in a corner and strikes a whole bundle of matches. Her mind drifts to a happy Christmas family and the beautiful things they celebrate, but when the daydream fades, the little girl has frozen to death, but her spirit is taken to heaven where she lives with God and her grandmother forever. This, too, is another somber story, but it reminds us that our final hope is always in Jesus, no matter our earthly circumstances.
Overall, Snowball offers lots of solid Christmas stories with valuable lessons, earning Snowball’s Christmas Tail by the Fire Dove-approval for All Ages.
The Dove Take:
Snowball the Christmas dog shares lots of memorable Christmas stories packed with valuable life lessons for children and adults alike.
