When Katrusya brings a Christmas tree crawling with spiders home, little do she and her family know that a miracle waits in the boughs. A well-known folktale from Central and Eastern Europe. Author’s Note.

Lovely, especially for those who like to learn about others' cultural traditions.  I'm an atheist but I still was moved by this miracle fable and the beautiful pictures. ( )

The Spider's Gift by Eric Kimmel is a Ukrainian Christmas story. I have never heard a story like this, but was lively and followed similar themes of other popular Christmas stories. The theme of the story is to have Christmas spirit in order to receive Christmas miracles. Katrusya was determined to celebrate Christmas even though her family did not have money to buy gifts and a tree. Katrusya convinces her family to create their own Christmas by finding a tree in the woods and making their own gifts. Once the put a tree in their house, mother noticed that it was covered with baby spiders who were creating webs. Although the spiders were terrifying, Katrusya's family decided to let them stay to keep warm and survive. The spiders were thankful for the family's kindness and wove webs of silver around the tree. Katrusya's family was thankful for the Christmas miracle and shared it with the community. ( )

The Spider’s Gift is both sweet and humble while reflecting on the importance of family. In this Ukrainian Christmas story, when Katrusya finds out that her family cannot afford to celebrate Christmas this year, she is devastated. She tells her family that regardless of not having presents, they have to have a tree.Together the family discusses how they can make their own presents. Katrusya and her Grandfather go off to find the perfect tree. Finally, they find a tree and Katrusya says it is special, that she can feel it. Together, they pull the tree home, and when they arrive, her family thanks the tree for bringing Christmas to their house. They scrap up whatever they can find, like buttons and paper stars, and decorate the tree. One day, they find a spider with eggs in the tree and Katrusya’s mother insists on taking the tree outside, but Katrusya begs her mother to let it stay because it will not feel like Christmas without the tree. As Christmas approached, the family spent time together and continued on their Ukrainian Christmas traditions. On Christmas day, they noticed the spiders had disappeared, but they left webs that were hard and felt like wire. The webs turned into silver and the buttons turned into stars. The whole village came running to see the Christmas miracle, and magically, the threads became pure silver, the buttons became gold coins, and paper stars on the tree became gold and jewels. The spiders had left Katrusya and her family a Christmas present. Katrusya told the village that her family wanted to share it with them, and together the whole village said, “Khrystos Razhdaietsia! Christ is born! Merry Christmas!” A great book to explain the importance of family, acceptance, and giving. The theme of accepting is prominent because if Katrusya and her family had not been nice to the spiders, then they would have never been blessed with the spider’s gifts. ( )

When a Ukrainian family has no money for Christmas they decorate a tree and it becomes beautiful with the silvery webs from spiders inside. This story of the tradition of putting tinsel on the tree. ( )